"GOP Congresswoman Chastised for Minimal Tipping in Restaurant": Individuals Criticize the Republican Congresswoman for Leaving a "Ludicrous" Bill in a Restaurant Setting
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the Iowa congresswoman, recently found herself at the centre of a social media storm after a lunch outing at Sun Down Bar and Grill. The controversy arose from the amount she left as a tip for the server, which some users deemed "stingy" and "ridiculous."
Miller-Meeks had celebrated the GOP's "no tax on tips" deduction, a measure she had supported, by dining out. The receipt she posted on X, formerly Twitter, showed that she ordered a $7 corn nuggets dish and a $10 Philly cheesesteak sandwich, totaling $18.19. The 20% tip on the total bill would have amounted to $3.40, but Miller-Meeks left a tip of $21 and small change on her table.
The congresswoman's post received nearly 10 million views and more than 2,000 comments, many of which were critical of the tip amount. One user criticized Miller-Meeks for not tipping $5, considering the political nature of the event, while another called her a "cheap asshole."
In response, Miller-Meeks' communications director, Anthony Fakhoury, made a statement to CBS 2 Iowa, stating that the congresswoman had left a 20% tip on her lunch bill. However, the controversy did not subside, with critics continuing to call the tip "stingy" and "ridiculous."
Interestingly, the "no tax on tips" deduction, which Miller-Meeks had championed, has its own limitations. The deduction only provides a tax deduction on up to $25,000 of tip income and only applies to federal income tax. This means that workers still have to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on tips.
The public discussion around Miller-Meeks' tip payment echoes a similar controversy that surrounded President Donald Trump earlier this year. Marco Margaritoff, in his article about politics, mentioned the public discussion around Trump's allegedly "ridiculous" tip payment at a restaurant.
The original article on this topic appeared on HuffPost. The incident serves as a reminder that even seemingly small actions can attract significant attention and criticism in the digital age.
