'Fox & Friends' co-host Ainsley Earhardt thinks servers 'make tons of money'
Ainsley Earhardt stirred up reactions across the internet after declaring that restaurant servers “make tons of money.”
The Fox & Friends co-host made the comment during a conversation about the push in many states to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers. “A minimum wage job is not meant to be a career, it’s meant to help you get your start,” said Earhardt. “Unless you’re at a very fine restaurant, most of those people at the fine restaurants, that is their career. But they make tons of money,” she added.
Fellow panelist Brian Kilmeade offered a solution to those who aren’t happy with their current compensation. “If your one job doesn’t pay enough, guess what you do? You get another job,” he said. “People have done that since the turn of the last century, and now all of a sudden people want to make that job something you can make a career out of while destroying small businesses,” he added.
Earhardt noted that “if you’re working at McDonald’s or a small little restaurant where you’re making tips, if you’re nice to people you make a lot of money.”
Viewers on Twitter reacted to Earhardt and Kilmeade’s comments, with many calling out Earhardt for her assertion that workers at McDonald’s receive tips:
She has obviously never worked at McDonald's or a small little restaurant. Ask anyone who has worked at a restaurant how good we Americans are at tipping. Ridiculously ignorant comment.
— Positive Life Course 🇺🇸 🌊 (@Positive_Course) July 23, 2019
To all you fox viewers who work in the fast food industry, these are the people who's words you trust day in and day out. They don't know about your life,how you live or what your life is about. They could care less about you. There agenda should no be yours. @FoxNews
— Mariodt (@Mariodt13) July 23, 2019
@ainsleyearhardt. Your privilege is blinding. Also even if your example is true, your premise is faulty. Please have me on your show and I can help explain how tips are wage theft
— Christopher Hicks (@ChrisHicks90) July 23, 2019
Others felt Kilmeade and Earhardt were right on the money with their assertion that the minimum wage shouldn’t be raised:
@foxandfriends I just tipped $55.00 at a local restaurant this past weekend. If servers make $18.00 to $20.00 you better believe the tips will reduce. We also own a small business and can't maintain $15.00 per hour for new employees without any experience. We have to pay benefits
— CLSisler (@cristysisler) July 23, 2019
@foxandfriends My daughter was a waitress for years while her husband started up his business. She would bring home $600 to $1000 a week in tips alone. Now her daughter my granddaughter is doing the same.
— Susan Menius (@SuzyQMenius) July 23, 2019
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