In a move that has stirred the political pot, Kamala Harris recently announced her support for a no-taxes-on-tips policy during a rally in Las Vegas. Her proposal aimed to benefit workers in the service industry by exempting their tips from taxes, a sentiment that garnered cheers from her supporters. However, what seemed like a crowd-pleasing policy quickly turned into a political firestorm, with critics accusing Harris of blatantly ripping off an idea from President Trump…because she did.
lol…Kamala Harris just stole Trump’s “no tax on tips” position.
The press will now proclaim it an excellent idea. pic.twitter.com/b9pTejZazr
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) August 11, 2024
The announcement came as Harris was addressing a rally in Las Vegas, laying out her vision for aiding the working class. “We need to support our hardworking service industry workers by ensuring that their tips are not taxed,” she proclaimed, igniting applause from the audience. The policy seemed to resonate with many, especially those in the service sector who rely heavily on tips to supplement their incomes.
The jubilation was short-lived. Almost immediately, social media lit up with accusations that Harris had lifted the idea straight from Trump, who had been advocating for the same policy for months. Conservative commentator Bonchie tweeted, “lol…Kamala Harris just stole Trump’s ‘no tax on tips’ position. The press will now proclaim it an excellent idea.” The response was echoed by several other high-profile figures, including Robby Starbuck and Nick Sortor, who were quick to call out Harris for her alleged lack of originality.
Unsurprisingly, President Trump did not take the news lying down. In a scathing rebuke posted on social media, he declared, “Kamala Harris, whose ‘Honeymoon’ period is ENDING, and is starting to get hammered in the Polls, just copied my NO TAXES ON TIPS Policy. 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.”
Trump’s campaign also released a series of videos and tweets, emphasizing that Harris has consistently fallen short on delivering substantial policy proposals. “Kamala has proposed the LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN HISTORY – It won’t happen. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!,” Trump wrote, fanning the flames of the controversy.
Public reaction has been mixed, with some lauding Harris for taking a stance that supports service industry workers, while others criticize her for allegedly co-opting Trump’s policy. Harris’s team has yet to release a detailed statement addressing the plagiarism accusations, focusing instead on the merits of the policy itself.
In a brief follow-up, a spokesperson for Harris stated, “The Vice President is committed to supporting America’s service industry workers. Any similarities in policy proposals are purely coincidental and reflect a shared understanding of the needs of this vital workforce.”…Sure.