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Trump Hosts Oval Office McDonald’s Delivery to Pitch ‘No Tax on Tips’

The choreographed moment thrust the new tip tax break back into view before Tax Day.

Overview

  • Trump accepted two McDonald’s bags from DoorDash driver Sharon Simmons at the Oval Office on Monday, then pulled out a $100 tip in front of reporters.
  • The No Tax on Tips provision lets eligible workers exclude up to $25,000 of tip income from federal income tax for 2025–2028, with phaseouts for higher earners, and the IRS issued final guidance this month naming more than 70 qualifying occupations.
  • Simmons, an Arkansas-basedDoorDash Grandma” with over 14,000 deliveries, said the law let her keep about $11,000 last year as her family managed her husband’s cancer treatments.
  • Outlets including the AP noted that entering the White House and reaching the Oval Office requires prior screening, underscoring that the encounter was planned, as social posts questioned its authenticity.
  • DoorDash said Dashers saved “hundreds of millions of dollars” under the policy, yet online backlash included calls to cancel the app, and company officials publicly rejected claims that Simmons was a paid actor.