Republican Suggests Americans Who Can’t Afford Steak and Lobster for July 4th ‘Don’t Work as Hard as I Do’

Republican Rep. Troy Nehls, a leading defender of President Donald Trump, didn't seem too concerned when asked on Tuesday about Americans' struggles to pay for food on the Fourth of July, saying they may just not work as hard as he does.

As Nehls (R-Texas) prepared to depart for the holiday recess, a pair of reporters—Pablo Manríquez of Meidas Touch and Julian Andreone of Drop Site News—caught him on the steps of the Capitol and asked how Republicans planned to address the high cost of living, which voters consistently say is their top concern entering midterm election season.

Manríquez asked Nehls how House Republicans planned to "make the case that you're fighting for affordability when you go back to your districts?"

Nehls responded: "Affordability? What are you talking about?"

Unprompted, he proceeded to brag about his plans for the holiday: "I'm gonna go there tomorrow. I'm gonna get me a couple of big lobster tails. I'm gonna get me some nice rib-eyes. I'm gonna sit in my backyard with my family and my neighbors, and we're going to be enjoying the Fourth, celebrating 250 years... celebrating the greatest president of my lifetime, Donald J. Trump."

According to the latest Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, annual inflation has surged to 4.2% after Trump's war with Iran caused energy costs to spike and prices to soar throughout the economy.

High inflation has affected the cost of many holiday staples. According to a report out Tuesday from the Groundwork Collaborative, the cost of ground beef has surged more than 20%, and Ball Park brand hot dogs have climbed 13% in price since last summer.

"Everybody understands, you're going to see a little increase in energy prices because of Iran," Nehls said Tuesday. "I mean, come on, people aren't stupid, you realize that when you have a conflict in Iran."

Though oil and gas companies are reportedly set to make an additional $700 billion this year on the backs of consumers beyond what they would have made without the war, Nehls credited Trump with taking on "price gouging." And though gas prices are still projected to remain elevated through the year's end despite a possible end to the war, he said the high costs were a "temporary issue."

Andreone then asked Nehls, "Do you think the 60% of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck can afford lobster tails and rib-eyes and all of that?"

"Maybe not," Nehls responded. "Maybe the 60% of Americans don't work as hard as I do, neither, I mean I don't know."

With Trump's approval rating on the economy in shambles—a record low 33% of American adults said they approve of his performance in an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll last week—Nehls' comments were perceived as yet another sign that Republicans were hopelessly out of touch with Americans' needs.

It was not the only one. At a time when more than three-quarters of Americans said the cost of housing was an important issue, Trump justified his refusal to sign a piece of bipartisan housing legislation on Monday by saying: "I don't want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up."

Trump has previously described the concept of affordability as a Democratic "hoax" and said that when making decisions related to the Iran War, "I don't think about Americans' financial situation."

While Nehls is retiring and won't have to face voters' wrath in November, his tin-eared surf and turf boast could provide more ammunition to Democrats hammering on affordability as they hope to take back the House and Senate, in part by gaining ground in his home state of Texas.

Responding to the video of Nehls, journalist and commentator Mehdi Hasan said, "Democrats should turn this into an ad."