Donald Trump had a McDonald's meal delivered to the door of the Oval Office by a woman who had benefited from tip tax exemptions, in Washington, on Monday, April 13. JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS
In an attempt to reclaim a narrative that has slipped from his grasp since the start of his term, Donald Trump has turned his focus to Americans' cost of living. On Wednesday, April 15, the White House used Tax Day to showcase the purported benefits of his tax reforms on taxpayers' wallets.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and head of the Small Business Administration Kelly Loeffler took turns at the podium to praise these measures, which were adopted in July 2025 as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill. "President Trump's working families tax cuts have put a historic amount of money back into the pockets of the American people this year," said Leavitt.
Fifty-three million people claimed one of the new deductions or exemptions on their tax returns this year, Bessent said. The measures concerned tips, overtime, Social Security for people over 65, auto loans for cars made in the United States, and small business owners. The average tax refund stood at $3,400, up $346 from 2025. The Treasury's target was $1,000.
