@audreywiththedata: When Americans said groceries cost too much, here's what their leaders actually told them: eat ramen. Buy liver. Stop whining. As a viral debate over a $20 burrito exposed GOP divisions on affordability, Rep. Dan Crenshaw posted: "Stop whining, get a job, eat Ramen like the rest of us did in college, on a budget with 4 roommates. The market doesn't care what you think something 'should' cost." This is the same Crenshaw who, in 2021, attacked the Biden administration for telling Americans to eat less meat to fight inflation. Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers mocked grocery-price concerns at a town hall: "And when the Democrats start getting at us, oh my gosh, coffee went up. You know, horror" Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio, on a conservative podcast, said: "People living in poverty are just not very, they're not very experienced at navigating the real world." And Health Secretary RFK Jr., addressing rising beef prices: "You can buy liver or the cheaper cuts of steak that are very, very affordable" (The Hill). This came as the price of ground beef hit a record, rising from $5.54 to $6.75 a pound between January 2025 and May 2026. None of these people are single-handedly responsible for your higher grocery bills. But, it's funny that they say these things while riding hard for a guy who campaigned on food affordability, then called affordability a hoax in December. That's the real tell here. The same people brushing off your $20 burrito or your $6.75 pound of ground beef are the same people who got elected promising to bring those prices down on day one. You can't campaign on affordability, spend a year mocking the people asking about it, and then act surprised when the polling on this issue keeps cratering. Either the crisis is real, or it isn't—and right now, the GOP's messaging wants it both ways: real enough to win an election on, but imaginary enough to blame you for once you're the one paying for it. #gop #affordabilitycrisis #inflation #foodprices #grocerybudget

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Tuesday 11 August 2026 11:00:00 GMT