WASHINGTON, D.C. — DoorDash delivery driver Sharon Simmons delivered a McDonald's order to President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday in an event arranged to mark the one-year anniversary of the federal law containing the "no tax on tips" policy. Trump gave Simmons a $100 tip during the delivery, which DoorDash confirmed had been staged to celebrate the law's enactment.

The policy provides a temporary deduction of up to $25,000 in tips annually for eligible workers, though tipped workers are still required to report their tips as income. According to the Tax Policy Center, about 2% of all households — equating to 60% of households with tipped workers — would receive a tax cut under the policy, with an estimated average savings of $1,800 a year.

The White House's rapid response account on X quoted Simmons as asserting she had saved more than $11,000 in tips by not having to claim them on her taxes. The post drew a community note stating that the amount of savings claimed would not be possible under the policy. A DoorDash spokesperson said Simmons had earned $11,000 in tips in 2025, all of which was tax-exempt under the president's policy.

Simmons, who was based in Nevada at the time, testified before Congress in July 2025 in favor of the "no tax on tips" policy. She had been driving for DoorDash because her husband's cancer treatments had made it difficult to make ends meet. She moved from Nevada to Arkansas in late 2025 to be closer to family; her tips are subject to Arkansas's state income tax.

"The final version of no tax on tips would have looked much different without the advocacy of more than 40,000 DoorDash drivers who worked tirelessly to ensure independent workers were included in the final language," Simmons said. DoorDash, which supports the policy, did not comment on whether it compensates Simmons for her lobbying on behalf of the company.

One Fair Wage President Saru Jayaraman offered a different view of the event. "It's sad, and it's a sign of a failing society – not something to celebrate or turn into a photo op," she said. "Corporations are paying poverty wages while policymakers offer Band-Aid solutions like 'no tax on tips' instead of raising pay. At the same time, cuts to Medicaid and food assistance are stripping away the safety net workers rely on to get by. Workers don't need gimmicks – they need living wages, corporate accountability and real economic security," Jayaraman said.

In a February 2026 report, Economic Policy Institute researchers wrote, "Other parts of the law that created the tipped income deduction simultaneously enacted massive cuts to health care, energy, and food assistance programs that will cause tremendous harm for millions of low-income households, including some with tipped workers – all to finance tax cuts for the ultrawealthy." The report did not address Monday's White House delivery event.