Donald Trump’s No Tax on Tips policy is a major part of his appeal to working-class Americans. But tipping is itself a strange and flawed system invented to preserve inequality. Critics worry Trump’s policy will only intensify tipping culture.

“When I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on tips, people making tips,” Donald Trump said at a June 2024 election rally in Las Vegas, home to tens of thousands of tipped workers. “You do a great job, you take care of people, and I think it’s going to be something that really is deserved,” he added. This pledge, which Trump would go on to repeat at multiple campaign events over the next few months, became a signature part of his appeal toward working-class Americans.

Just over a year after the Las Vegas rally, President Trump appeared

See Full Page