"Paper Straws Are Ridiculous"... Trump, Who Recommended Plastic Straws, Now Announces Administrative Order

"End Paper Straws, Use Plastic Straws"
Executive Order to Be Signed Next Week

U.S. President Donald Trump once again encouraged the use of plastic straws on the 7th (local time).

President Trump announced, "I will sign an executive order next week to end Biden's ridiculous pressure on the use of paper straws." Photo by Getty Images

On this day, President Trump posted on 'Truth Social' that he would sign an executive order next week "to end Biden's ridiculous pressure on the use of paper straws." He criticized the previous Biden administration's recommendation to use paper straws, saying it "is not working" and urged to "go back to plastic."

Paper straws became a hot topic during the U.S. presidential election. This was because Trump's re-election campaign started selling 'Trump straws.' In 2019, the Trump campaign engraved the TRUMP logo in gray on red regular straws and sold them in sets of 10 for $15 through their own online store. Compared to the $9.99 price for 250 regular straws available online on Amazon at the time, this was an exorbitant price, but the campaign raised $460,000 in just one week with these straws.

Plastic straws for Trump presidential campaign fundraising sold in packs of 10 for $15.

At that time, Brad Pascale, the Trump campaign's chief of staff, told NPR in an interview, "I am tired of paper straws, and I am sure you are too. Like most progressive ideas, paper straws don’t work well and break down quickly." He added, "You can now be free from the progressive paper straws that ruin your drink," and coined the phrase "Make Straws Great Again," modeled after the 2016 campaign slogan "Make America Great Again."

During his first term, when reporters at the White House asked Trump if he supported banning plastic straws, he sarcastically replied, "Straws are small, but what about much bigger things made from the same materials like plates or packaging?" He added, "America has bigger environmental problems than straws. There are many things to focus on, but everyone only focuses on straws. Straws are really interesting," mocking the issue.