Top Republican Had Two Different Answers on Beef Prices — 24 Hours Apart

Two Days. Two Very Different Claims.

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What does it say about the GOP when one of its top lieutenants is caught misrepresenting something as basic as the price of beef?

House Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota on Wednesday claimed the price of ground beef is under $2.00 a pound. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ tracking, the average price of ground beef in August was $6.92 per pound.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar

Emmer says Republicans need to talk more about grocery prices that aren't expensive: "Eggs are at pre-pandemic prices. Ah, beef is at, ah, less than $2 a pound for ground beef ... I think we have a lot to run on."

11:58 AM · Sep 16, 2026 · 246K Views

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650 Replies · 116 Reposts · 608 Likes

Anecdotally, social media users were quick to correct the Majority Whip, declaring that indeed, the price of ground beef is around $7.00/pound.

Historian and author Kevin M. Kruse posted screenshots, writing, “Just checked the price of a pound of ground beef in St. Cloud, MN (Emmer's district) -- $5.29/lb at ALDI, $7.23/lb at Walmart.”

This wasn’t a minor gaffe. On Tuesday, Congressman Emmer acknowledged that the price of beef is higher.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar

Emmer: "They choose the word 'affordability,' in my humble opinion ... you pick 'affordability' because you can pick out the trees you want to focus on. 'We're gonna focus on gas prices' ... The price of eggs is down to pre-pandemic amounts, so why don't we talk about that? 'Oh …

6:43 PM · Sep 15, 2026 · 51K Views

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119 Replies · 38 Reposts · 183 Likes

And by the way, the price of beef may go even higher.

“Beef and veal prices are forecast to increase 9.8 percent in 2026, with a forecast interval of 7.0 to 12.6 percent,” according to the USDA.

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