Sandra Jauregui, Strip Workers Address Trump’s Tourism Crisis and Stavros Anthony’s Full-Throated Support 

Yesterday, Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui joined hospitality workers — Estevan Velasco (a dancer), Spencer Ridenour (a bartender), and BridgieNix Scheiner (a performer and filmmaker) — for a press conference highlighting Las Vegas’s tourism crisis. With Canadian tourism plummeting by nearly a third, the Las Vegas Strip reporting an 81% decline in net income between 2024 and 2025, and Harry Reid airport experiencing 18 straight months of passenger decline, Jauregui and the Strip workers called out Stavros Anthony for praising Donald Trump and failing in his job as the Chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism as Nevadans struggle.  

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“Donald Trump’s trade war, his war on Canada, is really a war on Nevada workers. Nevadans are the ones paying the price for it. So where is Nevada’s Lieutenant Governor while this is happening? Stavros Anthony isn’t just a bystander here. As Chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, defending this industry and the people who work in it is his job. It’s the number one thing he is explicitly tasked with doing” said Jauregui. “Instead, he’s been Donald Trump’s cheerleader. Asked about Trump’s agenda, Stavros Anthony said ‘it’s impacting Nevada in a positive way.’”

“In 2024, conventions had the budget and demand for performers, as did every casino with strong international clientele — a big chunk of Vegas’ income has always been from Canadian, Mexican, & South Asian travelers. But that quickly changed in 2025 as Trump’s new international travel policies and harsh tariffs were implemented” said Scheiner. “And those of us working in entertainment were sounding the alarms last year, long before Stavros Anthony and Joe Lombardo even acknowledged the crises Nevadans face.”  

“We are in a silent recession here in Las Vegas, and it is because of Donald Trump’s trade war. Canada and Mexico customers have disappeared. I used to check IDs from Canadian and Mexican customers several times a day, every shift” said Ridenour. “I haven’t carded a single Canadian in months. During hockey season, we used to be packed with Canadian fans up at the bar cheering on their team. This year — nothing. 

“When politicians say that everything is all good for performers like me and that Trump is doing a good job, I know they don’t understand what we’re going through. So although I am not political, I can say with confidence: Donald Trump is so out of touch and Stavros Anthony is right there with him.” said Velasco. “We need leaders like Sandra who will stand up and fight for us. Sandra understands what we are going through and who will be there with us. 

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