Trump tips DoorDash driver $100 at White House, pushes ‘no tax on tips’ plan, highlights McDonald’s order and gig economy focus. Photos: White House/X.
The US President Donald Trump on Monday gave a $100 tip to a DoorDash delivery driver who brought his fast-food order to the Oval Office at White House. The delivery was made by Sharon Simmons, who arrived with two bags of McDonald’s outside the West Wing. The exchange took place along the colonnade, where Simmons handed over what she described as the president’s “favorites.” Sporting a red T-shirt reading “DoorDash Grandma,” Simmons confirmed the contents of the order before passing it along. As cameras rolled, Trump joked about the moment, saying, “This doesn’t look staged,” before starting to promote his “no tax on tips” initiative, with the 2025 tax filing deadline approaching for most Americans.
“The no tax on tips is something special. It’s very special,” the president said.
When asked whether the driver received a good tip, Trump reached into his pocket, pulled out a $100 bill, and handed it to Simmons.
“Yes,” she responded.
The White House claimed that fries and cheeseburgers were part of the delivery. The president later gave out the food to his staff at the West Wing.
Trump has frequently expressed his fondness of the McDonalds menu, especially the Filet-O-Fish sandwich, the Big Macs, the french fries and the chocolate shakes.
His role with the fast-food chain has become a common aspect of the Trump image. In the 2024 presidential race, he worked a brief shift in a franchise of Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, a drive-thru and served french fries.
He has even been caught on camera having a meal of McDonalds in his campaign plane. In 2019, Trump was in his first term when he hosted members of the 2019 college football national champions Clemson Tigers in the White House, where he served them meals provided by McDonalds, Wendy, and Burger King.
Simmons is an Arkansas native and a grandmother who has been delivering with DoorDash since 2022. The company claims that she has made over 14,000 deliveries. She was reported to have received $11,000 in tips last year and she used this money to take care of her family.
After delivery, Trump took Simmons on a short tour of the Oval Office.
Trump is still pursuing his tax plan targeted at tipped workers.
With his One Big Beautiful Bill, those who make less than 150,000 a year would not pay taxes on any of their tip income to a maximum of 25,000, but payroll taxes would be imposed.
Another provision of the legislation is a tax break on overtime compensation in 2025.
The concept of a tip tax deduction was first proposed by Trump in his run for the presidency in 2024. The proposal will enable workers to claim up to 25,000 in tip income as taxable income between 2025 and 2028.
As about a tenth of all workers in the US have become members of the gig economy, the policy may have a major effect on both workers and self-employed workers who depend on tips.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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