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

The White House’s post about Simmons drew a community note saying that the amount of savings claim would not be possible under the policy.

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

DoorDash did not comment on whether it compensates Simmons – and how much, if so – for her lobbying on behalf of the company.

The company’s statement after Monday’s White House delivery quoted Simmons as saying “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” of the law containing the policy.

Labor advocates, however, have criticized the “no tax on tips” policy given its limited benefit and the risk it poses in expanding 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 tremendous harm for millions of low-income households, including some with tipped workers – all to finance tax cuts for the ultrawealthy,” wrote researchers with the Economic Policy Institute in a February 2026 report.

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

“It’s sad, and it’s a sign of a failing society – not something to celebrate or turn into a photo op,” Jayaraman said. “The fact that a term like ‘DoorDash grandma’ even exists should be a wake-up call.

“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.”