A fight over affordability is splitting the political right, and it's bad news for anyone struggling with the cost of living.

• Groceries are up 43% over five years, and food bought to eat at home is up 33% since 2019, so people are buying less and cheaper food.
• A "$20 burrito" complaint from a young conservative sparked a backlash, with figures like Ben Shapiro and Mark Levin telling people to stop whining, make burritos at home, or eat ramen.
• Chipotle shows the squeeze: a meal that ran about $6 fifteen years ago now costs $14–16, for smaller portions.
• Housing is worse — a typical mortgage payment has more than doubled since 2019 as prices and rates both jumped, before adding insurance and taxes.
• The bigger cause: since 2020's COVID stimulus, trillions flowed to the top, with the richest 0.1% now holding $25 trillion versus $7 trillion twenty years ago, while wages stalled.

Outlook: High prices under Trump and the "you're just spoiled" response could hurt Republicans in the midterms.