Iowa congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks has gone viral for sharing a photo of her tiny tip on a meal, while praising the impact of Trump’s new No Tax on Tips legislation.
The 69-year-old Republican shared a photo from a Monday meal at Iowa’s Sundown Bar and Grill in an X post on Tuesday, which has had over 6 million views.
“I got to celebrate No Tax on Tips with our wonderful server, she’s thrilled about this provision and excited to keep more of what she earns!,” Miller-Meeks wrote.
The photos include not only her lunch of a Philly steak sandwich and corn nuggets, but her receipt, which appears to show the congresswoman tipping $3 and small change on an $18 bill. A 20-percent tip on the bill would have been $3.40.
She had also hand-written, “No tax on tips!” on the bill.
Comments on Miller-Meeks’ post debated whether $3 for the server was an appropriate tip for the meal, especially considering the wage of a member of Congress, which totals $174,000.
A spokesperson for her office, Anthony Fakhoury, told Iowa’s News Now that Miller-Meeks tipped more than $3.
“The Congresswoman left a 20% tip, and unlike Democrats, she did not vote to increase taxes on hardworking Iowans. No Tax on Tips means more money in the pockets of servers, not the IRS,” Fakhoury said.
The Daily Beast has contacted Miller-Meeks’ office and the Sundown Bar and grill for further comment.
The venue’s website states, “Our staff is always friendly, and our beer is always cold. You’ll enjoy great food and great company at the Sundown Bar and Grill.”
Miller-Meeks had stopped for lunch during a "Made in America" manufacturing tour, where she visited Iowa manufacturers promoting their American-made production.
She said Trump’s bill had offered workforce training, tax breaks and incentives for investment.
“One of the criticisms of the reconciliation bill was that it would not spur economic growth. And what I hear when I visit businesses large and small is exactly the opposite,” Miller-Meeks said on Tuesday.
Congress passed Trump’s No Tax on Tips provision last month, as part of his One Big Beautiful Bill.
It aims to put more cash in the pockets of workers, who will be able to deduct $25,000 in tips each year from their taxable income. Tips will be federally taxed beyond that figure.
Critics of the provision state that low-wage workers already may pay minimal income tax, so the exemption could favor those who earn higher tips.
The viral post comes as Democratic candidate Christina Bohannan, who was only beaten by within 1,000 votes last year, has claimed she will try for a third time to beat Miller-Meeks in the 2026 midterms, where Democrats are focused on Iowa to take control of the House.
She accused Miller-Meeks of putting “partisan politics over Iowans.”
Last month, Bohannan said “From cutting Medicaid, to siding with DOGE’s devastating cuts to Social Security, to enabling unelected, unaccountable billionaires like Elon Musk-Miller-Meeks has forgotten about us,” Bohannan said.
“It’s time someone put Iowa first.”
