This Monday, the president received two bags of McDonald's directly in the Oval Office from a DoorDash delivery woman, to whom he gave a $100 tip. The act aimed to bring visibility to a key measure of his tax reform: the partial exemption of federal taxes on tips for low and middle-income workers.
The protagonist of the encounter was Sharon Simmons, known as the "DoorDash grandma," who appeared before the cameras wearing a corporate t-shirt. Although Trump joked by asking reporters if the encounter "seemed staged," the truth is that White House security requires thorough prior checks that make this type of delivery impossible to happen spontaneously. During the scene, Simmons stated that the legal changes had allowed her to recover $11,000 in tax refunds, vital money while her husband battles cancer, although this figure could not be independently verified by the press.
The staging comes at a critical moment, on the brink of "Tax Day" (the tax filing deadline) and with the administration under pressure due to the war in Iran, which has driven up gas prices and destabilized financial markets. In an impromptu press conference with the delivery woman, Trump alternated comments about hamburgers with statements about his refusal to apologize to Pope Leo XIV or his threats to block the Strait of Hormuz.
The encounter also had moments of evident discomfort. Trump tried to pressure Simmons to take a stand against the participation of trans women in women's sports, a recurring topic in his electoral rhetoric. However, the delivery woman firmly avoided the controversy: "I don't have an opinion on that. I'm here for the tip tax exemption."
To end the day, the president invited Simmons and her husband to a UFC fight to be held in the White House gardens in June, coinciding with her 80th birthday. As reported later by the presidential office, Trump himself distributed cheeseburgers and fries among the West Wing staff.