Donald Trump has admitted that the only reason he always tips at restaurants is to avoid bad press.
The remark comes as Trump tries to court service-industry workers with his “no tax on tips” policy, enshrined with conditions in the GOP’s tax-and-spending law.
During a Q&A on Fox News‘s The Sunday Briefing, the president was asked by Peter Doocy how much he leaves at a “mediocre” eatery.
Trump, 79, replied, “I usually tip because if I don’t, I end up with a lot of publicity that I didn’t tip.”
The Treasury last week outlined rules on who qualifies and how much can be excluded—up to $25,000 a year for many workers between 2025 and 2028.
It’s unclear whether he left a tip during his latest high-profile, below-par trip to a restaurant, when left-wing protesters in Washington, D.C. called him “Hitler.”
The Sept. 9 media opportunity visit to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab—his first dinner out as president in the capital—turned chaotic as he was heckled by activists who gained entry to the restaurant.
In a June 2023 restaurant outing, after he pleaded not guilty in court to 37 federal counts, including 31 violations of the Espionage Act, Trump was rumored to have left no tip at all.
Having swept into Little Havana’s Versailles restaurant in Miami, he is said to have declared “Food for everyone!” before departing.
The Guardian reported no one’s tab was picked up, though a Newsweek fact check said there was no verified evidence he paid—or didn’t—and the restaurant did not confirm either way.
In the rest of the Fox Q&A on Sunday, Trump was asked what he would choose if he could only eat one kind of food for a week.
“Probably steak,” he replied. “I like steak. I like a lot of foods, but I think steak is very good.”
Trump’s well-documented preference for steak cooked into oblivion—and slathered with ketchup—has long been part of the lore surrounding his restaurant habits.
The president was also asked by Doocy what one thing was on his bucket list, which allowed him to return to talking politics.
Trump said, “To make America great again. To make America so great like it’s never been before. That is my only thing. That’s what I live for.
“I want to turn this country around. We’ve been abused by other nations for years. We’ve been taken advantage of by everybody, we’ve been laughed at, and we’ve been scoffed at.
“Very simply to make America great again.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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