In the early hours of the morning, a crowd of bleary-eyed vegans wandered down the Strip toward the Tropicana casino to witness the end of an era.
Among Sin City’s oldest landmarks, the Tropicana was once known as the epitome of grandeur, graced by the Rat Pack and a host of feathered showgirls. It was the last real mafia building on the Strip.
But now it was to be destroyed in a spectacular implosion, accompanied by a fireworks display, to make way for a baseball stadium.
The disappearance of the legendary place, after almost 70 years, attracted a mix of locals and tourists from all over the country, who gathered along the road.
While they waited, the conversation inevitably turned to the upcoming presidential election and who could replace Joe Biden.
“Oh, that’s another kind of implosion,” one viewer joked about the political showdown.
Nevada is a battleground state in the tight race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. For weeks, the airwaves have been flooded with ads promoting claims and counterclaims.
Crowds of people from across the country gathered to witness the implosion of the Tropicana Las Vegas on the Strip after nearly 70 years. One viewer joked that the 2024 election would be another kind of “implosion,” but people in Sin City had mixed thoughts about what the race for the White House would look like.
But in the world’s most famous gambling city, people still find it difficult to predict who will win on November 5.
With the odds up in the air, some have decided not to cast any votes.
Torta Jones was born and raised in Las Vegas. He knows all too well the important role his home state plays in the race for the White House. It’s not that he never votes, but he has no plans to participate this year.
“If they had a gun to my head and made me vote, that gun would go off,” Jones insisted. “I can’t imagine voting for any of those idiots.”
While he doesn’t plan to vote, if he had to bet, he believes the Democratic candidate is the most likely winner in Nevada.
“When he tried to shoot Trump, I thought, ‘Oh, this son of a bitch has it,'” he said. “But then Joe Biden left. I think Kamala could win. I just think they need someone young there.
The latest average of polls conducted by Real Clear Politics indicates that he could be right. This moves Harris up one point in Nevada with less than a month to go.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are locked in a tight race for the White House with just 27 days until Election Day on November 5.
JC Lane, 46, traveled to Las Vegas to witness the Tropicana implosion after growing up in the city and having fun memories of visiting the casino. He now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, another presidential battleground state.
Lane wouldn’t share who he’s voting for because when it comes to politics he thinks he’s “gone a little crazy.” But he did make a prediction about which direction he thinks his state is headed.
“I firmly believe Arizona is going to go for Trump, judging by the volume of signs and bumper stickers,” he said.
His bet also aligns with the latest polling data. The Real Clear Politics average has Trump up nearly a point and a half in the western swing state.
But Jason Grape doesn’t want to hear that. He was a Trump voter in 2016 and opted for Biden in 2020. In November, both he and his wife Nicole plan to vote for Harris.
“I’m tired of the MAGA nonsense,” he confessed.
The fireworks display before the Tropicana Las Vegas implosion on October 9, 2024
The couple drove from Chicago to Nevada to see the end of the Tropicana. It’s about 25 hours of travel and politics has been at the top of his mind.
He was initially worried after President Biden dropped out of the race, but now believes the 2024 election is giving off real 2008 vibes and that Harris could win.
Grape said he voted for Trump in 2016 because he “wasn’t paying attention” and was influenced by the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton.
He believes November’s results will have an impact that will last decades and that 2024 will truly be “the most important election of our lifetime.”
Before dawn on Wednesday, the Tropicana was finally reduced to rubble and took less than 30 seconds to descend.
Two miles along the Strip, Donald Trump’s 20-year-old gilded hotel will likely remain standing for decades to come.
It remains to be seen if the residents of Las Vegas bet on him.