Rep Troy Nehls had a Marie Antoinette moment Tuesday on Capitol Hill, but his tone-deaf comment referenced lobster tails and ribeyes, not cake.
Reporters asked the Texas Republican how his party might make the case that they are “fighting for affordability” when they meet their constituents.
Although a savvy politician would offer a soothing soundbite, Nehls apparently missed that session of Politics 101.
Instead, he went on a tangent about his own July 4th goals that sounded like the 2026 version of “let them eat cake,” a comment attributed to Antoinette at the height of the French Revolution (though one she most likely never said).
“Affordability? What are you talking about?” he spouted. “I’m gonna go there tomorrow. … I’m gonna get me a couple of big lobster tails. I’m gonna get me some nice ribeyes.”
Nehls then explained that he planned to gorge on the fancy foods while “celebrating the greatest president in my lifetime, Donald J. Trump,” and insisted the current increase in energy costs is “temporary.”
A reporter then asked if the “60% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck can also afford lobster tails and ribeyes and all of that,” and Nehls gave a response that was straight out of a campaign ad ― for the Democrats.
“Maybe not. Maybe the 60% of Americans don’t work as hard as I do either. I mean, I don’t know,” Nehls said.
Yes, there’s video, but, amazingly, Nehls wasn’t wearing a top hat and monocle.
JS reached out to Nehl’s office for comment, but no one immediately responded.
Not surprisingly, Nehls’ empathy-free comments were mocked on social media.
Nehls was on a roll Tuesday as far as bizarre comments go.
During his interview on the Capitol steps, he also called for a 10-year moratorium that would include “a big bedsheet” over the Statue of Liberty to cover up that pesky immigrant-friendly message.
“We gotta put a bedsheet ― a big bedsheet ― over the Statue of Liberty,” he said. “She’s gotta go to sleep for a while ’cause we’re not letting anybody in anymore.”