Rollins’ claim that prices for other protein sources were “coming down” is inaccurate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of eggs, while lower than in 2025, has increased in recent months, increasing by 4.3% from May to June, falling by 0.5% from June to July, and then increasing again by 2.9% from July to August. Pork and chicken costs both increased by 0.4% from July to August.

Meanwhile, prices for ground beef hit a new record after reaching an average price of around $7.16 per pound as of August, an increase of 0.6% from July and 7.9% when compared with the previous year.

“If Joe Biden said anything close to this, MAGA would’ve had a total meltdown,” argued Democratic influencer Harry Sisson in a social media post on X to his more than 400,000 followers. “Now this is just part of Trump’s messaging. Hypocrisy at its finest.”

Others, like the progressive media organization MeidasTouch, jokingly argued that Rollins was “about two weeks away from telling people they can always eat bugs.”

“You will eat the bugs, you will live in the pod,” quipped Damin Toell, a New York-based attorney, in a social media post on X.

A multi-millionaire telling people to eat other protein that they also cannot afford is about as close to a "let them eat cake" moment as we'll probably get.

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[–] 73 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (10 children)

Does America need to ween itself off of its addiction to beef specifically, and over-consumption of protein (especially animal protein) in general? Yes, absolutely.

Does this particular person saying this as a member of this particular administration, for these poor particular reasons have the exact tenor of "Let them cake"? Also, yes, 100%.

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  • [–] 25 points 1 month ago (6 children)

    The entire developed world needs to ween itself off of so much animal protein.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 month ago

    Absolutely true, no argument there, but North America has a particular problem with animal protein as a cultural thing. It's just basic stuff like portioning. You look at the amount of meat that goes on a plate for one person in an American family restaurant and compare it to what would go into an average stir fry, for example, and the difference is ridiculous. Even without getting into alternative protein sources we can start by just addressing the fact that at a basic level we eat a totally unnecessary amount of meat up here.

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  • [+] -7 points 1 month ago (4 children)

    If we could trim the population down to the hundred million this world can handle we’d be in a much better position.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    Genuinely insane to just spout fascist bulllshit in public like this.

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  • [–] -4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    You think being realistic about the earth’s carrying capacity is fascist?

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    I don't debate fascists. But for the benefit of anyone else who happens to read this far, overpopulation is a fascist myth propagated by people who, for some reason, never want to talk about exactly which people need to die in order for the rest of us to live.

    The reality is that a) human population is already on a trajectory towards a stable equilibrium, and b) the Earth provides more than enough resources for all of humanity. We've never had a problem with sufficiency, we have only ever had a problem with distribution and waste. If we built our societies around the idea of giving people what they need, instead of on the notion of how hoarding and controlling resources can enrich a few, no one would ever go hungry or without shelter or medicine or anything else they require.

    I'm on mobile right now, but I'll try to provide some links later for anyone who is interested in learning more about this.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    Very good points. Protein as a marketing juggernaut in this country is beyond stupid.

    But also, yeah, this administration is so fucking tone-deaf.

    In addition, remember all the fainting spells the right had over Michelle suggesting eating more vegetables and moving around more? The way they acted, you'd think Michelle was going to castrate every single MAGA male in the country...

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  • [–] 7 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    eating more vegetables and moving around more?

    Oddly enough, the same sort of stuff that would have fixed the so-called 'flabby military' that Diapers and Kegsbreath keep whining about.....

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago

    All the more ironic since donnie doesn't even believe in exercise[1], eats some of the worst shit ever [2] and washes it down with diet soda (12 diet cokes per day!), and Petey seemingly cannot do even one proper rep when he's doing one of his absurd photo-ops showing how manly masculine macho he-men need to sack up and do some lifting, bro.

    I bet both of them think vegetables are for "soy boys", too.

    [1] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trumps-exercise-and-energy-belief_l_6930cc7ae4b0cee4438247cf

    He does not get regular exercise, in part because he has a long-held theory that people are born with a finite amount of energy and that vigorous activity can deplete that reserve, like a battery.

    [2]

    he’s apparently a red meat guy and eats “McDonald’s by the sackful”

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