A Las Vegas restaurant owner who proudly welcomed Donald Trump to his eatery during the 2024 campaign has admitted, just days before the 2026 midterm elections, that he may now have to shut down amid the affordability crisis.

“We go backwards, everything is worse,” Javier Barajas, owner of Il Toro E La Capra, said in a segment that aired Monday on CNN’s “OutFront.”

Barajas said rising costs and gas prices, driven in part by Trump’s war on Iran, could force him to sell his Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant or close it entirely.

“We hoping every day that the war ends,” he said.

Donald Trump poses for a photo at a campaign event at ll Toro E La Capra restaurant with owner Javier Barajas (right) in August 2024.

via Associated Press

The restaurant owner is just one example of those who supported the president in the past but have since become frustrated with Trump.

The segment also highlighted the financial strain facing staff at Barajas’ venue, which is one of several he owns in the city.

One worker said he had been forced to sell his car and now commutes 40 minutes to work on an electric scooter, while another said he had taken a second job and was working 100 hours a week.

“Every single one of us, we feel like, one way or another, we feel the pain,” said chef Fernando Perez.

Watch the full segment here: