Overview
- The president accepted two McDonald’s bags outside the Oval Office on Monday, then brought delivery worker Sharon Simmons into a press gaggle to pitch a plan to stop taxing tips.
- During the exchange, he said she received an $11,000 tax refund this year, which he attributed to his proposal, and he handed her a $100 bill after a question about tipping at the White House.
- The proposed change targets people who rely on gratuities, which the IRS says includes restaurant workers, hairdressers, and some gig couriers and drivers.
- Reporters’ questions soon shifted to the war with Iran and criticism of Pope Leon XIV, turning the policy pitch into a broader bit of political theater that echoed his 2024 McDonald’s campaign stops.
- A TF1 Info review identified Simmons as a real DoorDash contractor and reported the delivery was preplanned for messaging, with DoorDash saying she was not paid by the administration.