DoorDash PR Chief Faces Backlash After Trump Stunt: 'Get Outside'

Julian Crowley, DoorDash’s head of public affairs, found himself embroiled in a social media storm on X after a PR stunt involving President Donald Trump backfired spectacularly.

On Monday, DoorDash driver Sharon Simmons, a grandmother from Arkansas, delivered McDonald’s to the White House during a press conference promoting Trump’s “no tax on tips” policy. This event was staged to highlight the supposed benefits of the policy, which the White House claimed helped Simmons save “$11,000 in the last year” for her husband’s medical bills.

However, the authenticity of the stunt was quickly called into question. Critics pointed out that the “no tax on tips” policy is part of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which also includes cuts to Medicaid, raising concerns about its impact on healthcare for many Americans. Additionally, questions arose regarding whether Simmons’ job as a driver was affected by rising gas prices linked to Trump’s foreign policies.

Many users on X expressed skepticism about the interaction between Trump and Simmons, suggesting it was staged despite the presence of reporters capturing the moment. Trump himself added fuel to the fire with a quip during the event: “This doesn’t look staged, does it?”

Further complicating matters, a video resurfaced showing Simmons advocating for the “no tax on tips” policy at a GOP event in Nevada in July 2025, where she identified herself as a Boulder City resident rather than from Arkansas. This revelation led to accusations on social media that Simmons was merely a “paid actor” or “prop” for the administration.

In response to the backlash, DoorDash issued a press release confirming that the White House event was indeed staged to commemorate the anniversary of the policy. However, Crowley took to X to defend Simmons and clarify misconceptions. “No one is claiming it was a real delivery,” he stated, addressing claims that DoorDash was misrepresenting the event.

“It was clearly and obviously a planned event to mark a new policy starting,” he continued. “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.”

When confronted with skepticism about Simmons’ previous testimony in Nevada, Crowley shot back: “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?”

His responses took a more sarcastic turn as he told one user, “I love a conspiracy as much as the next person but man you need to touch grass.” Another user questioned the randomness of Simmons being chosen for the delivery, prompting Crowley to retort: “No you’re totally right. A person can’t have the same view on a policy that they had a year ago. That tracks.”

Crowley’s engagement with critics escalated to the point where he began retweeting his responses to multiple accusations of fakery surrounding Simmons and Trump’s encounter. In an amusing twist, he even corrected Grok, X’s AI chatbot, after it mistakenly claimed there were two different women named Sharon involved in the events.

“No @grok it’s the same Sharon. She lived in Nevada and moved to Arkansas. Still supports No Tax on Tips,” Crowley clarified.