Sideline sports reporter turned MAGA candidate, Michele Tafoya, advised Americans to skip those shaken iced lattes if they are feeling the economic strain of Trump’s war in Iran.
Tafoya, 61, who is running as a Republican for Senate in Minnesota, acknowledged that rising gas prices caused by the war can be “hard,” but said on Wednesday that Americans need to suck it up and support the U.S. in its war effort.
“I know it’s frustrating, and I know it’s hard for people. What I would say to them is we’ve lost some service members over there who have put their lives on the line to protect us, to protect the region, protect America’s friends in the region,” she said on The Todd Starnes Radio Show.
“It used to be during past wars, especially World War II, Americans got behind our servicemen and women, and we did little things to show our support for them,” she continued.
In both world wars, the U.S. involvement was approved by Congress. Trump’s war with Iran, which was launched on Feb. 28, has not been authorized. One way to show patriotism, Tafoya suggested, is to cut back on Starbucks runs until gas prices come down.
“Maybe you take one less trip to Starbucks, and so that gas goes a little further, until this thing is over and these gas prices come back down again,” Tafoya suggested. “Let’s just try to be patriots about this. Whether you agree with it or not, we’re there and we’ve got to support our men and women in uniform. That’s a big one.”
Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig, the Democratic frontrunner in the Minnesota Senate race, criticized Tafoya for the remarks.
“MAGA Michele wants your family to sacrifice so Republicans can blindly follow the President into another forever war in the Middle East. And PS @Michele_Tafoya — Minnesotans go to Caribou," she posted in reference to the Minnesota-based coffee chain.
Tafoya was also roasted online for the out-of-touch remarks.
“‘Maybe you take one less trip to Starbucks’ is the new ‘let them eat cake,’” one Instagram user said.
“I hope you were a good little patriot today and skipped your morning Starbucks trip. Gotta support Trump’s war on afffordability [sic] and common sense of course,” another user said.
“I dont go to Starbucks yet I’m struggling still. By your dumb logic I should be doing great though,” another user commented.
“Can I borrow a cup of coffee grounds?” one user joked.
The Daily Beast reached out to Tafoya’s campaign for further comment.
Tafoya, a former sideline reporter for NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Football, announced her run for office in January.
She has been endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a committee dedicated to electing a Republican majority to the Senate. NRSC chairman Sen. Tim Scott called her “the only candidate with the common-sense leadership Minnesotans are desperately craving.”
She was formerly a Trump critic, even going as far as to support Trump’s one-time enemy, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
She has since gone full MAGA as she tries to become the first GOP Senator from Minnesota in nearly two decades.
Trump administration officials have brushed off consumer concerns about rising prices resulting from the war.
Director Kevin Hassett of the National Economic Council said on Tuesday that consumer costs were the least of his concerns regarding the war.
“It would hurt consumers, and we would have to think about if that continued, what we would have to do about that, but that’s like really the last of our concerns right now,” Hassett said.
Trump even admitted on Thursday that he actually thought oil prices would be even worse for consumers than they already are.
“I saw what was happening in Iran and I said, ‘I hate to make this excursion but we have to do it,’” Trump said, using his new favorite word he doesn’t understand the meaning of, “And I actually thought the numbers would be worse.”
