Friday, April 17, 2026

Trump's tax talk shows 'how little he understands or cares' about voters: analysis

Ewan Gleadow
April 17, 2026 
RAW STORY



President Donald Trump's recent appearance in Las Vegas is an attempt to gaslight the public into believing the economic shortcomings are their fault, an analyst has claimed.

Trump had been roundly criticized for a DoorDash PR stunt. On Monday, President Donald Trump was greeted at the White House by Sharon Simmons, a 58-year-old DoorDash delivery driver who handed off two bags of McDonald’s food to the president.

During the encounter, Simmons championed the president’s no-tax-on-tips provision included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is set to expire at the end of 2028.

No evidence exists that Simmons was paid for carrying out the delivery to the White House. Simmons refuted the claim on Fox News Tuesday, and Julian Crowley, the head of public affairs for the online food delivery service DoorDash, defended her by arguing that she genuinely “supports keeping more of what she earns in tips."

Heather Delaney Reese wrote in her Substack, "He was there to speak at a Tax Day roundtable in Las Vegas. A 'celebration' of the 'no tax on tips' policy he signed into law last year. And it ended up being one of the most revealing insights into how he views working Americans and how little he actually understands or cares about their lives.

"Not because of any one outrageous moment, but because of how clearly it showed the gap between the man on that stage and the people sitting in that room. And that’s where the real damage happens.

"Because when the president of the United States declares on camera that every single American, at every income level is doing better, and you’re sitting at your kitchen table that night trying to figure out which bill gets paid this month and which one has to wait, you don’t think 'he’s lying.' You think, 'What’s wrong with me?'

"You think everyone else must have figured it out, and you’re the one who can’t make it work. Maybe you’re not budgeting well enough. Maybe you should be working harder. Maybe you should pick up a second job, a third shift, another DoorDash route. The shame settles in quietly.

"And it keeps you from saying anything, because if everyone else is doing fine, admitting that you’re not feels like a personal failure."

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