Kenneth Glad
An online fight over living costs has opened another divide among conservative figures. The argument moved from college food prices to a wider question about how economic concerns are discussed.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas joined the online affordability debate on August 6 with a message that emphasized personal responsibility and tighter budgeting.
“Stop whining, get a job, eat Ramen like the rest of us did in college, on a budget with 4 roommates,” he wrote, according to HuffPost. The comment quickly became a focal point of the discussion.
Crenshaw also made clear that he expected the post to provoke people online. In the same message, he defended market pricing and argued that consumers cannot simply decide what goods should cost, before comparing that kind of thinking to communism.
The burrito debate grows
The dispute had begun earlier, as conservative commentators argued over whether worries about the cost of living were being taken seriously enough within their own political movement.
Matt Walsh criticized conservatives who denied an affordability crisis, calling that approach “an act of political suicide.” According to HuffPost, Turning Point USA’s Andrew Kolvet added to the discussion by pointing to anecdotal claims that some college students were paying $20 for burritos.
Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen dismissed the complaints in a post on X, writing, “Cry me a river. The burritos in the college cafeteria are included in your meal plan.”
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Vice President JD Vance then joined the exchange, writes the Daily Beast, with a personal jab at Thiessen, saying, “If you’ve ever met him in person, it’s quite obvious the man has never missed a burrito.”
Primary defeat adds context
Several conservative figures pushed back on Crenshaw’s intervention, questioning his political judgment and congressional record. The Daily Beast reported criticism of his remarks from voices on the right.
Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, a conservative lawmaker from suburban Houston, defeated Crenshaw in the March 3 Republican primary for Texas’ 2nd Congressional District. According to The Texas Tribune, Toth ran to Crenshaw’s right and received endorsements from Sen. Ted Cruz and the conservative organization Turning Point Action.
Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL elected in 2018, remains a fourth-term representative. The Texas Tribune has also reported on his disagreements with other Republicans over Ukraine aid and his vote to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
Sources: HuffPost, The Daily Beast, The Texas Tribune, Marc Thiessen post on X
