The Harris-Walz campaign may have Oprah, but Trump has Lady Gaga’s father, y’all!

Lady Gaga's father, Joe Germanotta, the owner of Joanne Trattoria in New York visited Fox News on Friday to talk up Donald Trump’s plan to stop taxing tips. Germanotta called it "a great thing” for workers that’s “also good for the restaurant.” Given that such a large portion of restaurant workers' income comes from tips, Germanotta claimed that "Donald Trump is giving them a raise."

"This pays the employee for what they do well, and you know, quite frankly, I think it's going to allow them maybe to not work as many jobs, most of my employees here have two,” Germanotta said, apparently not caring that paying them more might do the same. "I think it's a great thing all around. I think the president was brilliant in throwing this out on the table."

He said he wouldn't change anyone’s hourly wage as a result and called the Trump plan "a win-win for everyone."

FACT CHECK: Not necessarily. According to Investopedia, tipped workers make up only 2.5% of the workforce. But if tipped income is not taxed, it could prompt accountants, lawyers and others who might want to shelter their income to expect gratuities, too.

The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center says that tax-free tips would help even fewer members of the workforce than the 2.5%. Many tipped workers make so little income they already pay little or no income tax, it points out. But hotel owners, like Donal Trump, could benefit by “slowing efforts to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers.” The same would be true for restaurant owners like Germanotta.

Germanotta said as much when he said that Trump’s plan helps raise income for workers without him having to pay more. “If wages get increased,” he said, “that ultimately shows up in menu prices.”

To his credit, Neil Cavuto pointed out that tax-free tips helps relatively few low-wage workers. However, Cavuto did get Germanotta to talk about crime. Germanotta blamed it for lower foot traffic, though he said theater traffic is “working itself out.”

As for Lady Gaga, Germanotta’s daughter, she campaigned for Joe Biden in 2020, performed at his inauguration and has worked with him in office. Although she has not appeared to endorse Kamala Harris (yet), she will almost certainly never promote Trump. At a 2020 rally for Biden, she described Trump as “a man who believes his fame gives him the right to grab one of your daughters, or sisters, or mothers or wives by any part of their bodies.” 

(Note: The above three paragraphs are from Ellen)

You can watch Germanotta below, from the August 23, 2024 Your World.