DoorDash PR Rep Defends White House Delivery Stunt Amid Social Media Backlash

A public relations official for DoorDash defended the company amid backlash over the recent White House delivery stunt.

On Monday, a DoorDash delivery driver named Sharon Simmons took part in a photo op with President Donald Trump when she arrived at the White House with a McDonald’s order. The event was planned to recognize the no-tax-on-tips policy included in the president’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Not long after the event, social media did some digging to learn more about Simmons. It was eventually discovered that the DoorDash employee took part in a Republican-led hearing in Nevada back in 2025, and she expressed support for Trump’s bill for its potential tax relief. This information led to some on the internet suggesting Simmons was merely a plant for the Republican Party.

Julian Crowley, a Public Affairs representative at DoorDash, shot down those theories with multiple responses.

“Yes, testifying for No Tax on Tips which has bipartisan support and passed the Senate unanimously,” he said. “Is it really so hard to believe that the same person moved states and then participated in a special delivery to mark the policy she testified in support of?”

Crowley added that the event with the president was a “special delivery to mark a policy that has bipartisan support with the media in attendance.”

In response to someone accusing him of “insisting on pretending like this was a real delivery,” Crowley claimed it was never promoted as such, saying:

No one is claiming it was a real delivery. It was clearly and obviously a planned event to mark a new policy starting. To claim Sharon is a prop, plant or an actor is totally wrong and off base. She is a Dasher and she participated to support the policy that benefits her.

During the event, Trump addressed the media to talk about the war in Iran and trans athletes. When Trump asked Simmons about the latter, she awkwardly dodged the question by saying she was only there to celebrate the no-tax-on-tips policy.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!