Trump sells Senate Republicans on plan to win over workers in closed-door meeting

Former President Trump's closed-door meeting with Republican senators was dominated by his pitch for a new policy position that could win over workers in key swing states ahead of the close November election.

"What I think President Trump did sell us all on is don't tax" tips, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital following the afternoon meeting at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) headquarters in Washington, D.C.

"He thinks it's a great example of how working people in this economy just can't get ahead," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said.

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According to several GOP senators, the discussion on ending taxes on servers' tips took up much of the meeting.

"It's actually a darn good idea," Johnson remarked, noting he was unsure about it at first. "One of the reasons he's doing this [is] because the Biden administration is taking on onerous reporting regulations. They want to make sure they get every tax, every little penny of tip. And this [is] just a total break from that."

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Trump introduced the proposal at a Nevada rally earlier this week, where many workers rely on tips to make their living, especially with Las Vegas's tourism industry. 

"For those hotel workers and people that get tips, you’re going to be very happy. Because when I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on tips," he said. 

The former president told the Republican lawmakers Thursday he got the idea from a waitress who expressed the difficulty that reporting standards had posed. 

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"I think it's a very symbolic group of folks, and some of the waitresses there in Vegas felt like they're being targeted by the IRS. And, boy, it is just really tough out there from an inflation standpoint," Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. 

A number of GOP senators, including Johnson and Marshall, came away from the afternoon meeting in support of the proposal. 

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The new tax policy would directly target workers who rely on tips at a time when Americans maintain unfavorable opinions on the state of the economy. Gallup found Americans' assessments of economic conditions were the worst they had been since November 2023, with 46% rating it as poor and only 22% saying it is "excellent" or "good." 

Nevada, in particular, is considered within reach for Trump in the general election. In the latest Fox News Poll, Trump defeated President Biden, 50% to 45%. In the 2020 election, Biden won the state, 50.06% to 47.67%. The swing state is one of several that could decide the outcome of the November matchup.