NYT Columnist 'Busted' After Complaining About Cost of Meal in Viral Tweet

Leah Barkoukis | September 22, 2023 4:15 PM

Cost of living is out of control, with prices increasing 17.4 percent since President Biden took office. Households are spending more than $700 per month on the same goods and services than they did two years, as the GOP's strategic communications director Tommy Pigott pointed out this week in response to Vice President Kamala Harris saying the administration has lowered the cost of living for "so many people." It's an absurd claim, and everyone knows it. The increases are seen on nearly every receipt, and even the media elite are now complaining.

This week, a New York Times columnist decided to share a photo of his dinner at Newark Liberty International Airport, claiming the burger, fries, and alcoholic beverage pictured cost a whopping $78. "This is why Americans think the economy is terrible," he added.

And while prices have gotten bad, $78 for what was pictured seemed unbelievable, even by airport standards. And it turns out it was. After going viral, the establishment was identified as 1911 Smoke House BBQ, with the owner chiming in that the only way the meal could've cost that much is if David Brooks ordered "two doubles," since a double whiskey costs around $28.

Busted.
— LoriGrace (@lorigraceaz) September 21, 2023

"Looks like someone was knocking back some serious drinks — Bar tab was almost 80% and he's complaining about the cost of his meal," the restaurant said in response on its Facebook page, even creating the "D Brooks Special" for $17.78. "keep drinking buddy — we get paid off everything."

The responses to Brooks' tweet, which got slapped with a Community Note, were gold.