President Donald Trump was criticized for participating in a staged photo op at the White House on Monday with a DoorDash driver (Sharon Simmons, dubbed “DoorDash grandma,” who lives in Arkansas) to promote his “No Tax on Tips” policy.
When Simmons delivered bags of food from McDonald’s outside the Oval Office, Trump met her and gave her a $100 tip.
Simmons said she relies on cash tips to help cover the costs of her husband’s cancer treatment, which some Trump detractors saw as ironic, as delivery people rarely qualify for company health insurance and because the Trump administration has taken steps that have dramatically increased prices for individuals trying to purchase insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Others in the comments on social media expressed doubt that DoorDash tips could provide the kind of revenue required to cover bills for cancer treatment, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Trump himself later admitted that the photo op was “tacky.”
SICKENING:
Trump just called Sharon Simmons’s DoorDash delivery to the White House: “a little tacky,” as he talks about how her husband has cancer and she needs the money for that.
The MAGA audience laughs. pic.twitter.com/aZgQIi7uVs
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 17, 2026
Trump was hit at the end of the week with a second wave of criticism regarding his self-portrayal as a hero of the working class, as The Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that “President Trump approved more H-2B visas for foreign workers after meeting with associates who have ties to his businesses.”
Trump supporter and Fox News star Laura Ingraham was unhappy with the news, calling the trigger for the move — which impacts restaurants and the hospitality sector — a “lie” and writing: “Americans will—and always have —worked in restaurants, hotels and clubs. My mom waitressed until she was 72. Wages and work conditions matter. The ‘worker shortage’ is the lie told and retold by the cheap labor lobby. MAGA!”
Americans will—and always have —worked in restaurants, hotels and clubs. My mom waitressed until she was 72. Wages and work conditions matter. The “worker shortage” is the lie told and retold by the cheap labor lobby. MAGA! https://t.co/eI8ZI0cPR5
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) April 17, 2026
Other conservative influencers also objected to Trump’s decision, including The John Birch Society, which responded: “How does this help Americans?” and the “Barefoot Student” X account replied: “Bartending and serving tables has always been a great way for American college students and grads to earn cold hard cash. Shut the H-2B visa down before it wrecks that, too.”
[NOTE: The H-2B program allows U.S. employers or U.S. agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary nonagricultural jobs, ” according to the USCIS.]