Trump to headline event for Asian American voters in Nevada

As part of his efforts leading up to Election Day, former President Donald Trump will address the Asian American and Pacific Islander community at a rally in Nevada on Thursday.

Trump will take the stage in Las Vegas alongside former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii at one of his first events for Asian American communities. The Unite for Change rally, organized by the conservative political action committee Turning Point USA, will feature musical performances and speeches and culminate in a keynote address from Trump.

Organizers say their goal is to attract Asian voters to the conservative movement and convince them that Trump is the best choice for them.

“These are voters whose values ​​align closely with the conservative platform, but who have received too little attention from our movement,” said Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point, in a press release. “Just as we are seeing major changes among Hispanics and the Black community, this group is poised to powerfully reflect President Trump's message of economic empowerment, law and order, safe streets and a return to order and sanity in immigration policy.”

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing demographic in Nevada, making up 12% of the state's electorate – with Filipinos making up the largest subgroup. Polls after the 2020 election found that 58% of eligible voters in the community supported Joe Biden, while 40% supported Trump.

The Harris campaign has been courting her for months.

Progressive Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders take issue with Kirk's portrayal of Asians in the state joining Trump, saying their observation was the opposite.

“Our team has knocked on over 150,000 doors this year and we are not hearing that Trump's message is resonating. In fact, many people are tired of his rhetoric,” said Eric Jeng, executive director of the nonprofit group One APIA Nevada. “The people we spoke to, including small business owners and working families, are still feeling the impact of his administration’s actions — from tax cuts for the rich and mishandling of the pandemic to the rise in anti-Asian hate.”

But campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Trump has long been a champion of the interests of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“There has been no greater advocate for the AAPI community than President Trump, as he has created an environment where diversity, equity and prosperity are available to all,” he said. “Anyone who says otherwise is disgustingly exploiting the AAPI community to play political games for their own gain.”

CORRECTION (October 23, 2024, 10:35 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this article misspelled the last name of one of Trump's main rivals. He is Vivek Ramaswamy, not Ramaswami.