Trump’s ‘DoorDash grandma’ had previously lobbied for the president, setting off controversy | Donald Trump

The DoorDash delivery driver who found himself in the national spotlight Monday by bringing a fast food order to Donald Trump at the White House has already publicly touted the president’s so-called “no tax on tips” policy — leading some to question the authenticity of the encounter and the company to confirm it was a set-up.

Sharon Simmons had lobbied in July 2025 for the policy, supported by DoorDash, testifying before Congress that she was based in Nevada and drove for the delivery platform because her husband’s cancer treatments made it difficult to make ends meet otherwise.

That fact sparked some skepticism for Simmons after she delivered a McDonald’s order to the White House on camera Monday — and was described as an Arkansas resident.

The comments were strong enough metaphorically that DoorDash issued a statement confirming that Simmons’ delivery — and a $100 tip Trump gave him — had been arranged to celebrate the congressional law into which the “no tax on tips” policy had been written a year earlier. The company also argued that Simmons moved from Nevada to Arkansas in late 2025 to be closer to family.

Separately, a spokesperson refuted accusations that DoorDash and the White House misled the public, although many users insinuated that the delivery had been passed off as authentic in media coverage.

“No one is claiming this was a real delivery,” Julian Crowley of DoorDash wrote on social media.

The rhetorical temperature around the scene heated up further when the White House’s Quick Response

But the “no tax on tips” policy is only a temporary deduction of up to $25,000 in tips per year for eligible workers. Workers who receive a tip must still report their tips as income.

According to the Tax Policy Center, only about 2% of all households – or 60% of households with tipped workers – would benefit from a tax cut, because many tipped employees already pay little or no federal income tax. The estimated average tax reduction savings for these eligible employees is $1,800 per year.

The White House’s message about Simmons prompted a note from the community that the claimed savings amount would not be possible under the policy.

Asked by the Guardian about the discrepancy, a DoorDash spokesperson responded that Simmons earned $11,000 in tips in 2025 – all of which was tax-free thanks to the president’s policies. It’s unclear, however, whether Simmons earned enough money to have to pay federal tax on his tips, which are also still subject to Arkansas state income tax.

DoorDash has not said whether it pays Simmons — and how much, if so — for his lobbying on behalf of the company.

The company’s statement after Monday’s delivery to the White House quoted Simmons as saying that “the final version of no tax on tips would have looked very different without the advocacy of more than 40,000 people.” [DoorDash drivers] who worked tirelessly to ensure that self-employed workers were included in the final text” of the law containing the policy.

Labor advocates, however, have criticized the “no tax on tips” policy given its limited benefits and the risk it poses by increasing tips as income for low-wage workers and reducing base wages.

Other parts of the law championed by Trump that “created the tipped income deduction simultaneously enacted massive cuts to health care, energy, and food assistance programs that will cause enormous harm to millions of low-income households, including some with tipped workers — all to finance tax cuts for the ultra-rich,” researchers at the Economic Policy Institute wrote in a February 2026 report.

One Fair Wage President Saru Jayaraman criticized the publicity stunt and the “no tax on tips” policy as providing negligible support for workers, especially compared to wage increases.

“It’s sad, and it’s a sign of a failing society — it’s not something to celebrate or turn into a photo op,” Jayaraman said. “The fact that a term like “Grandma DoorDash” even exists should be a red flag.

“Businesses pay poverty wages while policymakers offer band-aid solutions like ‘no tax on tips’ instead of raising wages. At the same time, cuts to Medicaid and food assistance remove the safety net that workers rely on to survive.”

“Workers don’t need gadgets: they need decent wages, corporate accountability and real economic security. »