Rep. Jason Crow blasts 'staggering corruption' amid surging cost-of-living crisis

Representative Jason Crow (D-CO) is sounding the alarm on the magnitude of corruption in Washington, arguing that the Trump administration's misplaced spending priorities are fueling a populist resentment among working-class Americans, unable to afford groceries or rent.

Crow, a former U.S. Army officer, said that the Democrats have to address the "fundamental deficiencies of the system" in a way that it can serve the basic needs of people as opposed to a privileged elite. "Golden ballrooms. Private planes. New golf courses. All as working class folks can't afford groceries, gas, or health care," Crow wrote in the post.

Democrats have been galvanising against the federal government's perceived lack of interest in the cost-of-living crisis triggered by Trump's tariffs and the war in Iran. The average gas prices across the U.S. hovered around $4.54, up by more than $1.40 since last year. This is their highest level since 2022, when the national average touched $5.01 per gallon.

Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) pointed out that Trump's sons had signed a weapons deal with the Air Force during an unauthorized war. He alleged that Amazon paid $40 million for a Melania documentary, which resulted in a "$581 million no-bid Pentagon contract."

"The corruption is not hidden anymore. It is the business model," he concluded. Rep. Dave Min (D-CA) criticized the move to propose a $1.5 trillion defense budget after "slashing funding for healthcare, food aid, and housing." "These people are the absolute sc*m of the earth," he wrote on X. Senator Elizabeth Warren explained that the costs can be lowered in one fell swoop if the Trump administration were to "end the war" in Iran.

President Trump, when asked about the soaring gas prices, suggested he would have had no problem with oil prices touching $200 in exchange for the U.S. launching its military campaign against Iran. "The stock market is higher now than when we started this war, and I thought oil prices would go to $200, $250, and it's at $100 now," he said. "Even if it went to $200, it would have been worth it."

He also claimed in another interaction with the press that gas prices are "way down," adding that the prices will fall to levels that "you've never seen before," during a surprise visit to the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool.

Meanwhile, there is little clarity on whether Washington and Tehran are close to a peace deal. It was reported that the U.S. military forces fired upon two Iranian tankers that were trying to overcome an American blockade of Iran's ports. Iran's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. strikes were a "clear violation" of the ceasefire, according to the Associated Press. Trump has threatened to resume bombing if Iran doesn’t reach a deal.