Trump Reaches for One Specific Item After Leaving Rally
President Donald Trump once again found himself at the center of a social media debate over his eating and drinking habits after cameras captured him enjoying a familiar beverage following a trip to Las Vegas.
Trump, 80, traveled to Sin City on Wednesday for an appearance at Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa, where he delivered remarks focused on tax policy. After the event, the president boarded Marine One for the trip back to Washington.
Video recorded during the overnight journey showed Trump seated inside the presidential helicopter with two women. At one point, he appeared to take a drink from a bottle of Diet Coke, a beverage that has long been associated with the president.
The seemingly routine moment quickly attracted attention online, with critics using the footage to comment on Trump’s well-documented preference for the sugar-free soft drink.
Trump’s affinity for Diet Coke has been widely reported for years. During his first presidency, a red button was famously installed on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, allowing him to request the beverage from White House staff.
Reports indicated the button returned when Trump moved back into the White House for his second term.
His consumption of Diet Coke has also become a subject of discussion among people close to his administration, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been outspoken about the president’s dietary choices.
Kennedy previously described Trump’s eating habits as heavily centered on fast food, candy and Diet Coke. He also remarked on the president’s apparent ability to consume such foods while maintaining his demanding schedule.
Trump’s beverage choices have drawn attention beyond Diet Coke as well.
Earlier this year, Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, recounted an unusual conversation involving Trump and a different soft drink.
During an appearance on Donald Trump Jr.’s podcast, Oz recalled seeing a bottle of Fanta on Trump’s desk aboard Air Force One. According to Oz, Trump jokingly suggested that the beverage could have health benefits, referencing the idea that substances capable of killing grass might also affect cancer cells.
Oz said Trump delivered the comment with a grin, while Trump Jr. appeared willing to entertain the possibility that his father might have been making a broader point about diet and health.
The latest Marine One footage is unlikely to settle the long-running discussion over Trump’s diet, but it once again highlighted one of the president’s most recognizable personal habits.
For years, the Diet Coke button, the president’s fast-food preferences and his unconventional comments about food and beverages have provided plenty of fodder for public discussion.
