Doubt in Las Vegas that DC can solve gun violence
Ahead of  President Donald Trump 's visit Wednesday to a stunned Las Vegas  a kind of eerie stillness settled over this usually throbbing and vibrant city. In interviews with nearly two dozen people around the Las Vegas Strip and in the suburbs  the sense of frustration and hopelessness was palpable  accompanied by political apathy and disdain for the debate in Washington  where Republicans are largely resisting Democratic calls to review and toughen gun laws.
After a crime with no discernible motive  few people here had answers about what  Trump  or members of Congress could do to prevent the next tragedy. The blood banks  having met their need for the time being  were turning people away. At times  there seemed to be more volunteers passing mini muffins and orange juice than people to take them.
For more than two decades  Nevada has been a critical swing state  helping deliver the White House twice for George W. Bush  and then twice for Barack Obama. The open congressional seat in the third district  south of Las Vegas  could help determine whether Republicans maintain control of the House of Representatives next year. And voters here could also determine control of the Senate when they decide on the fate of GOP Sen. Dean Heller  who was targeted by  Trump  during the health care debate.
The state's governor  Brian Sandoval  is an enigmatic Republican with strong crossover appeal who was able to tap into the rapidly growing Latino population to win re-election. Latino voters  along with the powerful organizing forces of labor in Clark County  helped Hillary Clinton notch her narrow victory over  Trump  here last fall.
Holden  who voted for  Trump   said she wasn't sure what he could do other than offer "a lot of reassurance that this isn't going to happen again."
 Trump  will arrive Wednesday in a city that is still struggling for normalcy. Large portions of Las Vegas Boulevard were closed to traffic until late Tuesday. The enormous LED screens that tower above the highway from the airport to the strip  which normally advertise shows and other attractions  flashed simple black and white messages thanking first responders and directing drivers to visit the Red Cross website.
While  Trump  has received sharp criticism in Washington for  his  handling of recent disasters and tragedies -- from  his  slow reaction to violence in Charlottesville  Virginia  to  his  taunting of the San Juan mayor after the devastation of the recent hurricane in Puerto Rico -- a number of people here welcomed  his  visit.
Ahead of  President  [TGT]  's visit Wednesday to a stunned Las Vegas  a kind of eerie stillness settled over this usually throbbing and vibrant city. In interviews with nearly two dozen people around the Las Vegas Strip and in the suburbs  the sense of frustration and hopelessness was palpable  accompanied by political apathy and disdain for the debate in Washington  where Republicans are largely resisting Democratic calls to review and toughen gun laws.
After a crime with no discernible motive  few people here had answers about what  Trump  or members of Congress could do to prevent the next tragedy. The blood banks  having met their need for the time being  were turning people away. At times  there seemed to be more volunteers passing mini muffins and orange juice than people to take them.
For more than two decades  Nevada has been a critical swing state  helping deliver the White House twice for George W. Bush  and then twice for Barack Obama. The open congressional seat in the third district  south of Las Vegas  could help determine whether Republicans maintain control of the House of Representatives next year. And voters here could also determine control of the Senate when they decide on the fate of GOP Sen. Dean Heller  who was targeted by  Trump  during the health care debate.
The state's governor  Brian Sandoval  is an enigmatic Republican with strong crossover appeal who was able to tap into the rapidly growing Latino population to win re-election. Latino voters  along with the powerful organizing forces of labor in Clark County  helped Hillary Clinton notch her narrow victory over  Trump  here last fall.
Holden  who voted for  Trump   said she wasn't sure what he could do other than offer "a lot of reassurance that this isn't going to happen again."
 Trump  will arrive Wednesday in a city that is still struggling for normalcy. Large portions of Las Vegas Boulevard were closed to traffic until late Tuesday. The enormous LED screens that tower above the highway from the airport to the strip  which normally advertise shows and other attractions  flashed simple black and white messages thanking first responders and directing drivers to visit the Red Cross website.
While  Trump  has received sharp criticism in Washington for  his  handling of recent disasters and tragedies -- from  his  slow reaction to violence in Charlottesville  Virginia  to  his  taunting of the San Juan mayor after the devastation of the recent hurricane in Puerto Rico -- a number of people here welcomed  his  visit.