WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump had McDonald's food delivered to the Oval Office on Monday in a bid to promote his lowering of taxes on tips, and handed the driver what appeared to be a $100 bill when asked if White House staff were good tippers.
Wearing a red "DoorDash Grandma" T-shirt, Sharon Simmons - from Arkansas - knocked on the door carrying two bags of fast food as the media watched. Trump answered and then took questions from reporters on a variety of topics, flanked
by Simmons, who said she has saved a substantial amount of money after taxes on tips were scrapped in January.
With control of Congress up for grabs in November's midterm elections, Trump aides entered the year hoping to focus on promoting the strength of the U.S. economy. The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran https://www.reuters.com/world/iran/ has stymied those efforts, particularly as surging oil prices have driven fuel costs higher, offsetting the effects https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/what-trump-tax-breaks-giveth-gasoline-pump-taketh-away-2026-04-10/ of cuts to taxes on tips, Social Security retirement payments, overtime pay, car loan interest and state and local tax bills that were part of last year's Republican-backed tax-cut legislation.
Indeed, last month, DoorDash and other companies whose business models depend on independent delivery drivers rolled out measures to try to cope with rising gas prices.
When a journalist asked Simmons if the White House were good tippers, she said: "Ummm, potentially."
Trump interjected, "wait," as he stuck his hand in his pocket and handed her what appeared to be a $100 bill.
"Thank you, you reminded me," he said.
When asked about the tip later on Fox News, Simmons said: "He took good care of me." But she did not disclose how much she was given: "I don't talk money."
Simmons also diplomatically batted away questions from Trump in front of reporters.
Trump asked her: "Do you think that men should play in women's sports?" To which she replied: "I really don't have an opinion on that ... I'm here about tax on tips."
He also asked if she voted for him. With a smile, Simmons said: "Ummm, maybe."
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jonathan Ernst, writing by Michelle Nichols; editing by Scott Malone, Rod Nickel)
