1 month ago
The DoorDash transportation driver who had a move successful nan nationalist spotlight connected Monday by bringing a fast-food bid to Donald Trump astatine nan White House has publically touted nan president’s alleged “no taxation connected tips” argumentation earlier – causing immoderate to mobility nan encounter’s authenticity and nan institution to corroborate it was a stunt.
Sharon Simmons had lobbied successful July 2025 successful favour of nan policy, which DoorDash supports, testifying successful Congress that she was based successful Nevada and driving for nan transportation level because her husband’s crab treatments had made it difficult to make ends meet otherwise.
That truth drew Simmons immoderate skepticism aft she delivered a McDonald’s bid to nan White House connected camera connected Monday – on pinch her being described arsenic a resident of Arkansas.
Commentary was metaphorically large capable that DoorDash issued a statement confirming Simmons’ transportation – and a $100 extremity that Trump gave her – had been arranged to observe nan legislature rule into which nan “no taxation connected tips” argumentation had been enshrined a twelvemonth earlier. The institution besides maintained that Simmons had moved from Nevada to Arkansas successful precocious 2025 to beryllium person to family.
Separately, a spokesperson refuted accusations that DoorDash and nan White House had someway misled nan public, though galore users insinuated that nan transportation had been treated arsenic authentic successful media coverage.
“No 1 is claiming it was a existent delivery,” DoorDash’s Julian Crowley wrote connected social media.
The rhetorical somesthesia astir nan segment escalated moreover much erstwhile nan White House’s accelerated consequence X relationship quoted Simmons – dubbing her nan “DoorDash grandma” – arsenic asserting that she had saved much than $11,000 successful tips “by not having to claim” them connected her taxes.
But nan “no taxation connected tips” argumentation is only a impermanent conclusion of up to $25,000 successful tips for eligible workers annually. Tipped workers still person to study their tips arsenic income.
According to nan Tax Policy Center, only astir 2% of each households – equating to 60% of households pinch tipped workers – would person a taxation trim because galore tipped labor already salary small to nary national income tax. The estimated mean taxation trim savings for those eligible labor is $1,800 a year.
The White House’s station astir Simmons drew a organization statement saying that nan magnitude of savings declare would not beryllium imaginable nether nan policy.
Asked by nan Guardian astir nan discrepancy, a DoorDash spokesperson replied that Simmons had earned $11,000 successful tips successful 2025 – each of which was tax-exempt acknowledgment to nan president’s policy. It is unclear, however, if Simmons earned capable money to person had to salary national income taxation connected her tips, which are besides still taxable to Arkansas’s authorities income tax.
DoorDash did not remark connected whether it compensates Simmons – and really much, if truthful – for her lobbying connected behalf of nan company.
The company’s connection aft Monday’s White House transportation quoted Simmons arsenic saying “the last type of nary taxation connected tips would person looked overmuch different without nan defense of much than 40,000 [DoorDash drivers] who worked tirelessly to guarantee independent workers were included successful nan last language” of nan rule containing nan policy.
Labor advocates, however, person criticized the “no taxation connected tips” argumentation fixed its constricted use and nan consequence it poses successful expanding tips arsenic income for low-wage workers and reducing guidelines wages.
Other parts of nan rule championed by Trump that “created nan tipped income conclusion simultaneously enacted monolithic cuts to wellness care, energy, and nutrient assistance programs that will origin tremendous harm for millions of low-income households, including immoderate pinch tipped workers – each to finance taxation cuts for nan ultrawealthy,” wrote researchers pinch nan Economic Policy Institute successful a February 2026 report.
One Fair Wage’s president, Saru Jayaraman, criticized nan publicity stunt and nan “no taxation connected tips” argumentation arsenic providing negligible support to workers, particularly compared pinch costs increases.
“It’s sad, and it’s a motion of a failing nine – not thing to observe aliases move into a photograph op,” Jayaraman said. “The truth that a word for illustration ‘DoorDash grandma’ moreover exists should beryllium a wake-up call.
“Corporations are paying poorness wages while policymakers connection Band-Aid solutions for illustration ‘no taxation connected tips’ alternatively of raising pay. At nan aforesaid time, cuts to Medicaid and nutrient assistance are stripping distant nan information nett workers trust connected to get by.
“Workers don’t request gimmicks – they request surviving wages, firm accountability and existent economical security.”
