FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks, as he meets with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (not pictured), in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he's been at work trying to get high fructose corn syrup out of Coca-Cola-branded drinks. Instead, Trump claimed he convinced the company to move to cane sugar instead.
The Cleveland Clinic and other reputable sources have warned that excess intake of high fructose corn syrup and sugar should be avoided. Consuming high fructose corn syrup spurs a reaction that encourages the liver to create more fat, an article on the Clinic's website said.
Several European Union countries heavily restrict the substance, and Mexico taxes imports of it.
Mexico, in particular, is well known for using sugar in its sodas, leading to a preference for "Mexican Coke." That factoid prompted Rewire content officer Imani Gandy to comment that Trump "wants Mexican Coke but won't admit it lmao."
Law school professor Anthony Michael Kreis quipped, "Return to the super original Coke formula, you cowards."
The original Coke formula was so-named because it contained cocaine. It was initially crafted as a health drink.
Obama administration appointee Andrew Weinstein stated, "This is the best use of his time."
Lawyer and Afghan War veteran Jas Easterly noted it was a "once in a lifetime agreement," but admitted, "I feel a little sick about it."
Yair Rosenberg from The Atlantic joked it's "the special Jew Coke," noting that Coca-Cola that uses cane sugar is Kosher for Passover. It's "why some non-Jewish enthusiasts buy it up every year, and also why some antisemites are obsessed with 'Jew Coke.'"
The largest sources of sugar imports into the United States are Mexico and Brazil.
Trump issued a 25% tariff on all products except automobiles and automobile parts, said a trade tracker updated by Reed Smith. Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Brazil, effective August 1.
A Trump parody account on X asked, "If I give you all Coke of America, will you forget about the Epstein Files? Mexican Coke will now be called Coke of America."
A similarsentiment was expressed by several others.
"Taking corn syrup out of Coke makes me forget entirely about the Epstein stuff," joked Substacker Ryan Bell.