Sen. Markwayne Mullin ridiculed for whining over expensive diesel for his 'bigman' truck
Sen. Markwayne Mullin's (R-OK) near fist-fight in a Senate hearing has drawn increased attention to what some are calling "little man syndrome."
Mullin complained Tuesday about the price of gas for his diesel F-250 truck being $4.68 a gallon — despite GasBuddy showing the fuel selling for much less in his home state.
Kody Macaulay, running for Congress in Oklahoma's Fouth District, fact-checked Mullin on the price.
"Gas is the lowest it's been in years, and the average in Oklahoma is $3.95 for diesel. It's down to $2.85 for regular, which is fantastic. What you refuse to acknowledge is the fact that inflation has gone down to 3% from its peak of 9%, and continues to improve," tweeted Macaulay on Tuesday.
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While the fact-check didn't stand up for Mullin, more social media users were concerned with his F-250 truck, a very large vehicle for someone who doesn't work in construction, ranching or farming.
"A little man with a big diesel truck. Not surprised," user @OKC_ONE1525 posted right after Mullin's tweet.
"Do you have to sit on a phone book to see over the dash?" mocked Burtis Bone.
"Did you have a ladder installed so you can climb in?" asked @86stitt. The user then pointed out that Congress, not the president, can usher in price controls on fuel. When such a measure came up for a vote, Mullin voted against it.
The references to Mullin's short stature and to recent posts by Teamsters president Sean O'Brien, the man Mullin threatened to fight in a Senate hearing last week. The teamster tweeted a photo of Mullin at a U.S. Senate candidate debate in which he was standing on a box, apparently to look taller.
O'Brien has trolled Mullin for months using the hashtag #LittleManSyndrome.
"Why does a pencil neck like you need an F250?" asked X user William Hamill.
"Your choice to drive a diesel guzzler. Don't expect the government to bail you out. Just get a second job," said another, @SciRocker Autumn.
User Chertok asked: "If you bought an F-250 you should have expected that filling it up is going to be pricey? What in the past twenty years made you think that gasoline is going to be cheap?"
Several members have argued that everything is more expensive under President Joe Biden as they headed home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
On Monday night, former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), who now serves as a host on the Fox network, claimed that he's paid $90 for a turkey. It prompted questions about whether the turkey was gold-plated.
"On average, Americans can expect to pay $35.40 for a 15-pound turkey this year — an average of $2.36 per pound," reported FinanceBuzz. The site showed the most expensive turkey costs were in Hawaii, where transportation increase prices. Even there, It tops out at under $56.