Man on three times the minimum wage says he can not afford to live: ‘The American Dream is dead’
A car industry worker has claimed the ‘American dream is dead’ as he cannot ‘afford to live’ on his salary which he says is three times the federal minimum wage.
Nicholas Sumners went viral with his video explaining how much he earned and lamenting the fact he cannot afford necessities.
He claimed he makes three times the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour, meaning he earns an estimated $3,520 a month if he works 40-hour weeks.
Even with his salary, he said he ‘cannot afford to live anywhere alone’ and it is a ‘struggle to survive right now’.
He said: ‘The American dream is dead. It is over. Gone and forgotten.’
Nicholas Sumners went viral with his video explaining how much he earned and lamenting the fact he cannot afford necessities
Sitting in his car, Sumners ranted about the cost of living in the US.
His video racked up over 11 million views with more than two million likes.
In the clip, he asked viewers to explain to him in ‘crayon-eating terms’ why rent and basic necessities were so expensive.
He said: ‘I do not want to hear the ‘pull yourself up from your bootstraps, work 90 hours a week [arguments]’, that’s not the goal guys. That should not be our standard.’
He blamed political parties who he claimed are ‘f***ing people over’ and said he was ‘tired’ of people being ‘complacent’ in allowing it.
When his parents were his age, he said, they both lived alone despite earning ‘less than half’ of his current salary.
He said: ‘I cannot afford to live anywhere alone.
‘A one-bedroom apartment: $1,800. Two-bedroom apartment: $2,200. Who the f**k can afford that?
He added: ‘It is embarrassing to come out and say that it is a struggle to survive right now, but I know so many people are struggling.
‘And do not get me started on what my grandparents were doing. They [bought] a $3,000 house.’
Inflation rose to 3.5 percent in March as prices were pushed up by the high cost of housing and gas
In the clip, he asked viewers to explain to him in ‘crayon-eating terms’ why rent and basic necessities were so expensive
In 15 major US cities, where the cost of living is particularly high, an annual $100,000 income is only enough to qualify as ‘lower middle class’
Sumner said he understood the impact of inflation and federal interventions, but asked: ‘Why are we allowing it?’
He also seemed to take issue with US foreign aid, saying: ‘I clock out of my shift, I am tired, I have to go home and I check the news and I see another 60 f***ing billion to a country nobody can point out on a map.’
He concluded: ‘We have lost it, folks, we have f***ing lost it.
‘The American dream is dead. It is over. Gone and forgotten.’
Viewers agreed with him, flocking to the comment section to share their support and their own concerns.
One commented: ‘I literally don’t even want to be rich. I just want to be able to eat without anxiety.’
Another added: ‘A huge percentage of us are one unexpected expense from being homeless. Way too many people don’t get that reality.’
Interest rates remain at a 23-year-high with the federal funds rate between 5.25 and 5.5 percent after inflation peaked at 9.1 percent in June 2022.
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