Vice President Kamala Harris, facing questions and criticisms about the policies she’s running on as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has revealed at least one concrete proposal: End the taxation of tipped income — the very same policy famously proposed several weeks ago by Republican former President Donald Trump.
“When I am president, we will continue our fight for the working families of America, including raising the minimum wage and eliminating taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers,” said Harris during a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada.
[RELATED: Trump Calls for Abolishing Tax on Social Security Payments…]
The proposal from Trump appeared to be an attempt to appeal to lower-income voters working in service jobs, a demographic which Harris is now trying to win over with the exact same policy.
Harris immediately came under fire for “stealing” Trump’s policy and drew criticism from many who pointed out that, since Harris is the sitting vice president, she has the power to work to push the policy through before the election if she actually wants to help service workers rather than simply win their votes.
“Given that she runs the government why doesn’t she do it now,” asked Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) on X.
Trump responded to Harris’s announcement with harsh criticism, calling her out for stealing the idea and claiming that she would not actually implement the change if elected.
“Kamala Harris, whose “Honeymoon” period is ENDING, and is starting to get hammered in the Polls, just copied my NO TAXES ON TIPS Policy. The difference is, she won’t do it, she just wants it for Political Purposes! This was a TRUMP idea – She has no ideas, she can only steal from me. Remember, Kamala has proposed the LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN HISTORY – It won’t happen. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” said Trump on Truth Social.
Following Trump’s comments, his campaign highlighted a Biden-Harris crackdown on service workers from early 2023, which worked towards ensuring that tips are taxed to the fullest extent of the law.
“In 2023, Kamala sent the IRS after waiters’ tips. Now, she’s copying President Trump’s No Tax on Tips pledge. Kamala will say or do anything to get elected. You can’t trust her,” said Trump’s campaign on X.
Critics of Kamala’s new plan have pointed to a 2023 program from the Internal Revenue Service to monitor tips reported by employers and to encourage employers to provide them with a summary of all tips earned at their establishment in an attempt to better tax them.
As the Maine Wire has previously reported, the Biden-Harris IRS effectively incentivized restaurant owners to surveil and inform on employees who might be dodging taxes on their tips — a program that would seem counter to Harris’s newfound desire to abolish the tax altogether.
Both Trump and Harris have clarified their promises, claiming that instead of attempting to abolish tip taxes through executive action, they would work with Congress to pass a law abolishing the tax.
“President Trump will ask Congress to eliminate taxes on tips,” said a Trump spokeswoman speaking to the Washington Post.
The Washington Post also received a similar statement from a Harris campaign official, who claimed that Harris’s proposal “would require legislation” and that she plans to work with Congress.
Harris’s attempt to copy Trump on tips comes just days after she claimed that she, rather than Trump, would be tough on immigration.
That claim drew criticism from many who once again pointed out that she is currently in power and could work to fulfill those promises now rather than using them as a bargaining chip with the American public for the upcoming election.
Shortly after President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he assigned Harris to be the “border czar” in charge of working towards a secure border, but, since Harris’s time in that position, the illegal immigrant crisis has only grown worse.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="30017 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=30017">3 Comments
The four “Maine Bright Bulbs” back her and believe her. Liars stick to gather.
Making suckers out of Mainers again.
An original thought never came out of that brain nor her staff’s.
Which members are being fired to pay for it?