Dems mock Trump’s agriculture secretary for saying RFK food guidelines can be met with ‘a piece of chicken’ | Trump administration
U.S. agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins is being ridiculed by congressional Democrats, among others, after claiming that Americans can save money and make their meals comply with the Department of Health and Human Services’ new dietary guidelines by eating just “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli,” a “corn tortilla” and “one more thing.”
One representative even described these statements as “a slap in the face of struggling working families.”
Rollins made the following statement: an interview In response to a question from NewsNation about how average Americans can afford to adapt their meals to the White House’s updated food pyramid, which emphasizes red meat, full-fat dairy and saturated fats while avoiding overly processed foods and sugar. Rising food prices have become a major problem for Americans in recent years.
“What role does cost play in this?” host Connell McShane asked. “And I guess the reason I ask is because I’m thinking about the past. [consumer price index] There’s a new report out and, as you know, although inflation remains generally stable, at the consumer level, it’s 2.7% annually, which we saw in the markets. [prices]especially jumping from month to month. And that’s why it still costs people so much to go to the grocery store. When will this change?
Rollins answered: “I guess the question you’re asking, and it’s a really important question, is, when we ask Americans to rethink what they eat, are we actually asking Americans, especially those living on the margins, to spend more money on their diets?”
“And the answer to that is no,” he continued. “We’ve done over 1,000 simulations. It can cost about $3 per meal for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and something else. So there’s a way to do this that will save the average American consumer money.”
Rollins also claimed that food prices were falling, saying, “Grocery prices are actually going down,” adding, “There was a little cut at the end of the year because it was a holiday and a lot of people are spending a lot more money at the grocery store. But the actual overall numbers are going down, from eggs to chicken to pork to milk to broccoli.”
The consumer price index data referenced by McShane shows that food prices continued to rise In December, there was a 0.7% increase, the largest month-to-month increase since October 2022. Product prices increased by 0.5%, coffee by 1.9%, and beef prices by 1% during the month and 16.4% compared to the previous year.
Clips of the interview went viral online, and Democrats began seizing Rollins’ remarks as evidence that the administration was out of touch with the average American.
Social media account operated by Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee replied A video clip featuring an AI-generated image of a cafeteria tray divided into four compartments. On the tray was a small piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, and a tiny corn tortilla.
In the last pane “HIDDEN ITEM?” There was a rectangle wrapped in foil that said. There is a bigger question mark underneath.
Representative Ted Lieu had a similar idea: don’t write: “Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture says Americans can afford this delicious $3 meal. Prices are rising and the Administration is recommending Americans eat ‘a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla and one more thing.’ Yummy!” She also included a photo of the measly meal along with a mint julep.
Colorado Congressman Jason Crow sent His version of the meal was titled: “Trump’s getting a new gold-plated ballroom. You’re getting a piece of chicken, broccoli, and a corn tortilla.”
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse responded to Rollins’ comments: saying: “Could this ‘something else’ also be wondering why costs have gone up so much under Trump and why Americans need to follow the chicken/broccoli/tortilla diet? (Is this on the menu at Mar-a-Lago?)”
Sen. Ed Markey said Rollins’ remarks were disconnected from the reality many Americans are facing right now. “The Trump administration is completely unaware of the challenges families face,” he said. wrote. “They have no idea how much dinner costs, they have no interest in making food affordable, and they have no idea how to make a living.”
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal shipped He called Rollins’ shopping suggestions “a slap in the face to struggling working families.”
Chasten, husband of former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, came in: “Private jets and tax breaks for them and their rich friends, and a piece of broccoli *AND* a tortilla for you!”
Novelist Anne Lamott was mocked ridiculous description of the dish. “Can I get substitutions as long as I keep the cost low? Like two stalks of broccoli? And a few corn chips instead of a tortilla?” he asked on social media.
Many users also referenced Marie Antoinette and her supposedly famous quote “Let them eat cake” are symbolic of the aristocracy’s callous disregard for the starving poor of France. This isn’t the first comparison between the controversial French queen and the Trump administration; because the phrase was brought up frequently during the initial construction of Trump’s $300 million ballroom.
