GOP Hawks Dismiss Burrito Costs Amid Iran War Inflation
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- Ben Shapiro declared the Iran war has had "basically no impact on food prices in the US," igniting what writer Sohrab Ahmari dubbed "the great American burrito debate" over war-driven food costs on social media.
- Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) proposed bombing Iran "for two to three weeks" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing Iranians cannot be trusted to broker a deal without military force despite five months of war.
- Donald Trump proclaimed "Now, US is the King of OIL!" while sharing a chart showing surging U.S. oil exports, as national gas hit $4.10 and diesel $5.36 per gallon according to Marjorie Taylor Greene's X post.
- Trump told reporters at the Oval Office that Chevron and Exxon Mobil are making "too much money" during the war and "ought to give some of that back," a stance The Independent's Eric Garcia noted echoes Democratic "greedflation" critiques aimed at Biden.
- CNN pollster Harry Enten said Trump is 6 points underwater on Iran within his own party and 17 points underwater on inflation among moderate Republicans, warning GOP candidates in swing districts are losing those voters.
- A Quinnipiac University poll found 60% of voters oppose military action against Iran, while a CNN/SSRS poll found 74% of Americans — including 43% of Republicans — say the war is not "worth the cost in terms of the financial burden or American casualties."
- Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), who lost his primary by double digits, posted "Stop whining, get a job, eat Ramen" in response to food-cost complaints, prompting conservative commentator Ryan Girdusky to reply: "Can't understand why you lost your re-election."
Why it matters: Republican hawks' insistence that the Iran war has "no impact" on food prices clashes with concrete data — 23,000 jobs lost in July, gas at $4.10, and 74% of Americans (43% of Republicans) calling the war not worth its cost. Crenshaw's double-digit primary loss after telling voters to "eat Ramen" offers the GOP a concrete warning as the 2026 midterms approach.
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