California Governor Gavin Newsom eviscerated President Donald Trump’s DoorDash publicity stunt in a single social media post.
On Monday, Trump took part in a stunt where Sharon Simmons, a DoorDasher from Arkansas, delivered McDonald’s to the White House to highlight his new federal income tax break on income from tips.
Their interaction was decidedly awkward, with the president asking Simmons if she voted for him and if she believed that men should play in women’s sports.
“I really don’t have an opinion on that,” Simmons replied. “I’m here about no tax on tips.” The president then tipped her $100.
Governor Newsom’s Press Office drew attention to the irony inherent in the stunt in a post on X.
“Donald Trump — a convicted felon who has also been found liable for sexual abuse — is ineligible to be a delivery driver on most apps‚” Newsom’s press office wrote.
“But somehow he’s our president.”
A jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll in a civil trial in May 2023. A year later, he was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has not been convicted of sexual assault in a criminal trial.
In response, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said, “Gavin Newscum is the worst governor in America, and he also may be the dumbest.”
DoorDash does not publish a complete list of disqualifications, but the company does run background checks on its drivers, and potential disqualifications can include serious or violent felony convictions or fraud-related criminal activity.
Simmons, whose social media is full of posts focusing on religion and faith and who only said “maybe” when the president asked if she voted for him, is no stranger to Republican stunts.
In a video unearthed by social media sleuths, Simmons appeared at a House Committee on Ways & Means field hearing in Nevada in July 2025 to discuss the impact that Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill would have on her life.
“I believe that it’s going to free up some stuff for me,” Simmons said during the hearing. “It means that I’m going to be able to stay more connected with my family in Missouri,” she added, also mentioning that the changes introduced by the bill would help with her husband’s potential future cancer treatments.
“DoorDash is truly an independent industry, and I enjoy that part of it,” she continued. “I like being able to just do what I need to do, and freeing up this extra money means quite a bit to my family.”
When asked by Rep. David Kustoff if she considered herself to be “wealthy or well-connected,” Simmons replied, “Not at all.”
Speaking to Fox News, she estimated that the president’s change to taxes on tips has saved her as much as $4,000.
“I want to thank you for the no tax on tips,” Simmons told the president at the White House on Monday. “It has helped my family out immensely. And I definitely appreciate it.”
