Harris Mirrors Trump’s No Tax on Tips Promise at Las Vegas Rally

At a Las Vegas rally on Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris promised to eliminate taxes on tips, mirroring a promise former President Donald Trump made at his Las Vegas rally in June.

Kamala’s Promise: Harris said, “It is my promise to everyone here when I am president, we will continue our fight for the working families of America. Including to raise the minimum wage. And eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.” 

Trump’s Response: Trump quickly criticized Harris from his Truth Social account, writing, “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.”

For Context: Some sources on the right, like Breitbart (Right bias), highlighted that in 2022, Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided $80 billion in additional funding to the IRS. In 2023, the IRS proposed a program aimed to “improve tip reporting compliance,” drawing criticism from several Republican officials. The program was implemented in January 2024.

How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum highlighted that Harris’s promise mimics Trump’s. HuffPost (Left bias) prominently noted that former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul proposed the idea in 2012. Axios (Lean Left bias) called it a “rare point of agreement” that underscores the idea’s bipartisan popularity. CNBC (Center bias) and NPR (Lean Left bias) highlighted perspectives from economists who were critical of the idea.