Gen Z Democratic lawmaker spars with Baby Boomers over whether American Dream is dead
Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., engaged in a fiery debate with a group of Baby Boomers this week on the web series Surrounded, arguing that Generation Z faces economic hurdles their generation did not experience.
The 29-year-old congressman appeared in the viral debate on the Jubilee YouTube channel, where a single public figure faces an entire room of challengers.
In the debate, Frost argued that young Americans were raised with the expectation that going to college — even if it required taking on student debt — would lead to a good job, allow them to repay that debt and provide a pathway toward the American dream. He argued that this bargain, and the American dream prospect itself, no longer holds for many young Americans.
Frost cited his working-class family background and noted that he worked as an Uber driver to make ends meet while running for Congress.
"So that’s the American dream! You lived it!" his debate opponent, comedian Geno Bisconte, responded in a clip that went viral on Monday.
"The American dream isn't driving Uber to barely make ends meet," Frost replied. "The American dream is upward mobility and being able to have success."
"You went from driving an Uber to being a politician!" Bisconte shouted. "Is that upward!? What am I missing?"
"But it's not about one person. It's about the totality of a generation," Frost replied. "That's part of the reason that I have the claim that I have. The majority of my generation is struggling and having a hard time to just survive. Just to survive. The American dream isn't survival, my friend. Is the American dream survival or is it thriving? The American dream is thriving. The fact of the matter is the vast majority of young people feel like they're not able to put aside enough money to have mobility."
Another participant named William argued that many of Frost’s complaints can be attributed to population growth from mass immigration.
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"When we started school, there was less than 157 million people in America today. Now there's 340," William responded. "More people needing homes means home prices go up. More people needing food means food prices go up. We can't correct that until we get rid of all the foreigners that have come in here. And your party is refusing to do that, even if they’re illegal!"
Frost pushed back, saying immigrants provide a net economic positive and share more in common with everyday Americans than billionaires do.
He added that entry-level wages haven't kept pace with living costs, making the prospect of buying a home on a retail or service job "a fantasy." Frost also pointed to competition in real estate, noting young buyers now face off against private equity firms.
Analysts and policy experts offered mixed takes on the generational exchange in comments to Fox News Digital.
Judge Glock, director of research and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, argued that in general young adults have a much higher net income than Baby Boomers did at the same age, but agreed that housing affordability is at its "worst it's been in decades." However, Glock disputed Frost’s contention that institutional investors or older generations are to blame, attributing price spikes to regulatory constraints that limit new housing construction alongside high mortgage rates.
"Frost is wrong that higher housing prices are due to competition from Baby Boomers or Wall Street," Glock said. "The fundamental reason housing prices have gone up is that we are building less than we used to. And we are building less than we used to because of ever-increasing regulations, from zoning to environmental mandates. When combined with high mortgage rates due to both inflation and high levels of government debt, homeownership is becoming increasingly out of reach."
Glock also noted that "This generation also has much higher student debt levels than earlier ones. Due to their high student debt, and lack of wealth in housing, older Millennials have a lower net worth than Gen Xers at the same age. That's not because of a lack of jobs, but because colleges have been handing out ever more low-quality degrees at an ever higher cost."
Elizabeth Pipko, a former Republican National Committee national spokesperson, agreed that Gen Z faces certain major challenges, but argued they should not overestimate the luxuries the Baby Boomer generation had.
"Nobody is arguing that young Americans have it easy. And it is true that housing prices in many parts of America have risen much faster than incomes, particularly in desirable cities and suburbs. But, with that being said, times have changed and the comparison to baby boomers is not exactly fair," she said. "Households back then consumed much less. Today’s family is purchasing a much higher material standard of living. What is considered 'normal' today would have been a dream to many a few decades ago. For example, the material things that improve our quality of life which were mere dreams are now not only attainable by most, but vastly cheaper. Think about computers, televisions, household technology, air travel, etc. Times have changed, yes, and with that comes difficulties, but also incredible advantages and benefits."
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Pipko added that immigration, artificial intelligence, and post-pandemic work shifts are compounding the tough entry-level job market for recent graduates. She cautioned against abusing H-1B visas for cheaper labor, warning that such practices put "American graduates in direct competition for the entry-level jobs that traditionally gave them their start."
Link Lauren, an influencer and former senior advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also told Fox News Digital, "For years, I’ve recommended trade and technical schools. If you go to college and major in queer theater or LatinX literature, don’t be shocked when there aren’t tons of jobs waiting for you. Unless you really need that four-year degree to go on to medical school or law school, you really have to think twice about spending all that time and money on a college campus. The American dream is certainly attainable. But the landscape has shifted. This is something Charlie Kirk spoke about often."
Fox News Digital also reached out to Frost's campaign and did not receive an immediate reply.