A $20 burrito is dividing the GOP as party debates food prices

News Nation ^ | August 7, 2026 | Batya Ungar-Sargon

[AAABEST]

An online debate about the cost of food has erupted among GOP conservatives after Andrew Kolvet’s viral tweet regarding a college student’s complaint that “A burrito shouldn’t cost $20.”

There was no shortage of feedback. Pundit Marc Thiessen encouraged students to economize like he did as a young person and to lean into prepaid cafeteria meals. This prompted an acidic reply from Vice President JD Vance, who posted on X, “If you’ve ever met (Thiessen) in person, it’s quite obvious the man has never missed a burrito.”

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: aaatroll; batyaungarsargon; concerntroll; dutalkingpoints; fail; gaslighting; gop

[AAABEST]

Thiessen seriously acts and even looks like a puffy, pinkish neocon pig. A Bush relic who, like them, disdains ordinary Americans and can't wait to set the Mideast, and by extension the world, afire

Regarding the latest messaging push (putsch) - which is obviously orchestrated - rarely has there been such arrogance and gaslighting. Instead of course correction and introspection, the emergent GOP election strategy is thus:

- Unaffordability is YOUR fault. You're not working hard enough... like our great grandparents in the 1920s. Eat more burritos with cheap ingredients... stretch the meat out with beans. Unaffordability of homes, cars, food and energy is normal and we have nothing to do with it.

- Despite our utter failure after being given all 3 branches of government, you BETTER vote for us or the Muzloids and commies will enslave and kill you.

- Let's pretend we "won" in Iraq and that the USA hasn't been completely evicted from the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman for the first time ever; have CENTCOM say we "control" it. Let's pretend that our bases, including the 5th fleet headquarters, haven't been smashed to uselessness - along with billions in equipment. Lets pretend Gulf state "allies" (lol) aren't pulling away and denying us airspace. Let's pretend Israel has nothing to do with any of it. Pretend that Trump is "negotiating" and has any say over the final disposition of The Strait, which was 100% free flowing before his Epic F-up.

These clowns, along with many online clowns, some here on Free Republic, think voters are abject morons who don't work hard enough, can't budget and don't have the internet to check the vapid slop that pours out of their self-serving faces.

Name for us a single GOP pol that is worthy of a vote come November - anyone.

HINT: Massie, MTG and Matt Gaetz et al have been run out of town by the usual suspects.

[Mariner]

A burrito doesn’t cost $20 anywhere.

[kaktuskid]

You have only two choices…GOP vs DSSA. And make your own damn burrito.

[Pox]

Troll.

Why do you continue to spew your bile here?

[Skwor]

Post your liberal claptrap at BlueSky, this is pure propoganda

[Alberta's Child]

Great rant, but I'd take issue with one thing:

HINT: Massie, MTG and Matt Gaetz et al have been run out of town by the usual suspects.

Massie is a different story because he has been a stick in the mud for his entire career -- and was a useless political figure until the GOP House majority got so slim that his votes suddenly mattered.

But too many of these others are self-aggrandizing clowns who should have been seen for what they were: back-benchers who tried to use their voracious appetites for media coverage to turn themselves into national figures. A legislative body doesn't work that way.

[roving]

Where in the world is this guy eating at?

[V_TWIN]

You feel better now that you’ve thrown your little temper tantrum?

[roving]

He was run out because he’s an anti-Semite. MTG quit in the middle of her term because she was upset Trump wouldn’t back her in a Senate run. Let’s be a little truthful here.

[bk1000]

They should try the quick mart frozen burritos we used to eat before fancy burrito places came about. They were about a buck fifty and wonderful at 2:00 AM after a night of attempted debauchery.

[Dr. Sivana]

Pundit Marc Thiessen encouraged students to economize like he did as a young person and to lean into prepaid cafeteria meals.

My first college, U of Chicago, charged 80 cents for breakfast on the food plan, $4 for lunch, $6+ for dinner. It was good food, and the breakfast was definitely subsidized. 1982 dollars. The dinner was quite expensive by the standards of the day.

However, my dorm (Shoreland) did NOT have a cafeteria, and was almost two miles from my assigned cafeteria. I got off of the plan in my sophomore year, and saved a lot of money (but not time) getting my groceries from Mr. G's. It was important to me to eat when I wanted to, not when the cafeteria was open. I had normal weight in those days.

[Its All Over Except ...]

“When the beefy 5 layer burrito was introduced at Taco Bell in 2009 it was .89 cents. It is now 5 dollars. Even adjusting for inflation it should only be about $1.39.

But nah foods not more expensive don’t worry guys!”

https://x.com/majoriansmusing/status/2085420039277084785

https://x.com/majoriansmusing/status/2085728878375370956

[Dr. Sivana]

A burrito doesn’t cost $20 anywhere.

It can at restaurants in Scottsdale, AZ, but you have to look, and it depends on what kind of burrito:

https://www.blancococinacantina.com/locations/scottsdale/#menu-0

[UnwashedPeasant]

$20 is 40 Jack in the Box tacos.

A college student spending $20 for 1 burrito just shows dumb people can go to college these days.

[aquila48]

The story should be about how stupid, ignorant and irresponsible this idiot is to pay $20 for a burrito when you can easily get one for a third of that.

It’s not about affordability it’s about stupidity!

[escapefromboston]

MTG left on her own.

[Its All Over Except ...]

50 million plus illegals in the U.S. has inordinately created demand for homes and apartments to rent, driving up the cost artificially, too few from the interior are deported, Trump kept many around to work in hotel & restaurant, taking those jobs away from Americans, and added to this is out of control fiat money printing, and spending 13 trillion on Middle Eastern Wars:

👉

Dave Smith
8/6/2026

“So people are actually going to have a giant conversation about “affordability”
and completely ignore the fact that over the last 20 years we ran the biggest money printing experiment in human history?

Yes, young people should work hard. Also, a burrito shouldn’t cost $20.”

https://x.com/ComicDaveSmith/status/2085343344821961036

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👉

The Redheaded Libertarian

“Burritos are not the new avocado toast. A burrito is not a manufactured delicacy. It’s poor people food, and if poor people food costs $20 on the go, that’s a supply chain issue or an inflation problem. Both of which we have thanks to a $2 trillion deficit & another foreign war.”

https://x.com/TRHLofficial/status/2085207344967721180

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👉

Google (AI): “The White House claims that more than 605,000 formal deportations have occurred since January 2025. They also claim an additional 1.9 million people have “self-deported,” bringing their total stated departures figure to over 2.5 million.

The Trump administration has not provided fully objective, verifiable data to back up these specific figures, leading to widespread criticism over data transparency. While frequent press releases and aggregate briefings tout these milestones, it has heavily restricted or stopped publishing the detailed, granular tracking tools previously available to the public.

Independent oversight groups, journalists, and even members of Congress have pointed out several major verification gaps:

Inconsistent Reporting: Official announcements have frequently contradicted one another. For instance, press releases and official testimonies have issued conflicting numbers within days of each other, making data verification difficult.

Lack of Data Distinction: The administration has failed to provide a clear public accounting that separates interior enforcement operations from routine border returns.

Unverifiable “Self-Deportations”: The claimed 1.9 million self-deportations are based on demographic modeling, estimates, and minor app check-ins rather than direct, case-by-case tracking.”

[Liz]

Before the implementation of the $20 hourly minimum wage for fast-food workers in California, standard chicken burritos at major chains hovered around $9.30-$10.95.

Following the wage hike, chains like Chipotle raised regional prices by about 6% to 7%, bringing typical chicken burritos to roughly $10.40.

A more detailed historical breakdown of Chipotle’s burrito and bowl prices provides additional context:2019: Chicken $7.45, Steak $8.45.

Early 2024: Chicken $9.30- $11.75 (Prior to the wage hike)

Post-April 2024: Prices rose to around $10.00 - $12.55 in the California market. For contrast, the median price across a wide range of restaurants and smaller dining concepts nationally sits around $13.58.

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A supermarket frozen burrito typically costs anywhere from $0.80 to $5.00 each, depending on the brand, size, and whether you buy them as single units or in bulk.

Prices for popular options include:

Budget/Value (e.g., Great Value or single El Monterey burritos): $0.80 to $1.60 each

Family Packs (e.g., El Monterey 8-packs): $5.50 to $8.50 per pack (averaging about $0.70 to $1.00 per burrito)

Premium/Organic (e.g., Amy’s, Red’s): $3.00 to $4.00 eachHigh-Protein/Specialty (e.g., Clean Eatz, Counter): $4.50 to $5.00 each

You can easily compare prices or order for pickup at your nearby stores through Walmart or find local delivery via Instacart.