Las Vegas — Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is taking precautions against the heat by hiring extra medical staff, stocking up on fans and water bottles, and allowing supporters to bring umbrellas to an outdoor rally on Sunday in Las Vegas, where temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius).
Trump is returning to Nevada, one of the top battleground states in the November election, for his second rally since he was found guilty on four felony charges in a New York court. The unprecedented conviction of a former president has boosted Trump’s fundraising and energized his supporters, but it remains to be seen whether it will sway swing voters.
Temperatures in the Southwest have cooled since reaching record highs late last week but remain above normal for this time of year and are expected to top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) by the time Trump is scheduled to begin speaking around noon. His rally is at a park with little shade next to the airport.
Campaign organizers say they will have plenty of water bottles to distribute to attendees and that cooling tents will be set up throughout the venue. Misting fans will also be provided.
The campaign has arranged for additional EMS services to be on site in the case of an emergency. The U.S. Secret Service will make an exception to allow people to bring in personal water bottles and umbrellas.
During a rally in Phoenix on Thursday, the Phoenix Police Department said 11 people were taken to hospitals, treated, and released for heat exhaustion. Many of Trump’s supporters waited in line for hours, and some were unable to get inside before the venue reached capacity. The temperature reached a record 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) that day.
Trump’s Nevada rally, his third in the state this year, comes at the end of a Western swing that included several high-dollar fundraisers where he was expected to raise millions of dollars.
Democrat Hillary Clinton won Nevada in 2016, as did President Joe Biden in 2020, but Nevada was the only battleground state where Trump did better against Biden than Clinton. In the 2022 midterms, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, was the only incumbent governor who did not win reelection.
Trump hopes his strength among working-class voters and growing interest from Latinos will propel him to victory in the state.