GOP Rep Draws Heat Over 'Get a Job, Eat Ramen' Response to Inflation Woes

Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw has triggered a conservative backlash after mocking Americans angry about high food prices and telling them to 'stop whining.'

The row began on X after Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet shared a comment from a college student about the cost of everyday food.

'One of our TPUSA college students gave me his take on affordability: 'A burrito shouldn't cost $20,'' Kolvet wrote.

He said the problem was partly a hangover from COVID and Biden-era inflation, but added that the lived experience remained simple: basic things feel too expensive.

Crenshaw, who recently lost his Republican primary to Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, jumped into the discussion with a blunt response.

'Just hearing about this dumb $20 burrito debate so just thought I'd make the losers on social media angry before going to bed,' he wrote.

'Stop Whining, Get a Job, Eat Ramen'

Crenshaw then dismissed the affordability complaints as weakness.

'Stop whining, get a job, eat Ramen like the rest of us did in college, on a budget with 4 roommates,' he said.

The former Navy SEAL added that the market does not care what people think something 'should' cost.

'Only communists care,' he wrote, arguing that price controls lead to shortages and hunger.

He ended the post by asking whether people complaining about prices were 'communist' or 'an American adult male capable of handling his own s***.'

The response quickly backfired. Many users, including conservatives, accused Crenshaw of sounding dismissive toward people dealing with a real cost-of-living crisis. Others said the issue was not one overpriced burrito, but the broader rise in food, rent, fuel and basic expenses.

One critic pointed out that the price of 10lbs of hamburger meat had tripled between 2020 and 2026.

Several users also resurfaced Crenshaw's own past comments on inflation. In September 2021, he mocked the Biden administration by writing: 'America: our food prices are too high what are you doing about inflation? Biden admin: just be vegan and stop complaining you bunch of rubes.' For critics, the old post made his new remarks look hypocritical.

Crenshaw Doubles Down

Crenshaw later responded to the backlash with sarcasm rather than a real apology.

'Okay, I am SORRY for triggering the comment section,' he wrote.

He joked that the existence of a $20 burrito was proof that 'capitalism has FAILED,' before insisting he was not backing down.

'Remember when the right had principles and made fun of leftists for elevating victimhood as a virtue?' he added.

He framed the backlash as a choice between telling voters hard truths or bribing them for support in the next election.

Burrito Fight Exposes GOP Problem

Crenshaw was not the only conservative dragged into the argument. Columnist Marc Thiessen replied to Kolvet by writing: 'Cry me a river. The burritos in the college cafeteria are included in your meal plan.'

Vice President JD Vance then mocked Thiessen's appearance, writing: 'I'm surprised to hear Mark say this. If you've ever met him in person, it's quite obvious the man has never missed a burrito.'

The exchange turned a discussion about affordability into a messy conservative food fight. But the political problem underneath is harder to laugh off. Voters continue to tell pollsters that high prices are hurting them, and Republicans face pressure to show they understand that pain before November's midterm elections.