Jordan Hayes is not typically engaged in political matters. He abstained from voting in the 2024 election and holds ambivalent views regarding Donald Trump.
Therefore, the 37-year-old Californian was taken aback upon discovering that he aligns with the former president on at least one point: his preference for Coke made with cane sugar.
“There’s a distinct sweetness to it,” stated Hayes, a longtime devotee of cane sugar Coke, marketed in the U.S. as Mexican Coke, which differs from the corn syrup variant typically sold domestically.
While it is available to American consumers at a premium, Hayes asserts that the elevated price is justified. The former president echoed this sentiment last week, announcing that, at his instigation, Coca-Cola had agreed to utilize cane sugar in the U.S.
The endorsement of sugar by Trump may seem incongruous, given his well-known predilection for Diet Coke, a sugar-free beverage.
However, it represents the latest instance of his support for the sugar industry, which has long been recognized in Washington for its substantial political contributions, privileged access to the White House, and formidable lobbying operations.
“Don’t [expletive] with sugar,” former Republican House Speaker John Boehner cautioned in his memoir.
The sector has historically benefited from government policies, including elevated tariffs that have sustained sugar prices in the U.S., often at double the global rate, generating billions of dollars in additional revenue for producers annually.
Under the Trump administration, these supports were amplified, with stricter import restrictions and increased price guarantees for sugar farmers implemented as part of the Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Concurrently, Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has targeted the industry’s primary competitor, threatening a ban on corn syrup, which he has labeled “poison.”
The Sugar Alliance, representing the sector, did not respond to requests for comment regarding Coca-Cola’s decision, for which Trump claimed credit.
However, analysts suggest that the move positions sugar farmers favorably, increasing demand and, consequently, the value of their crops.
“They have the president both championing restrictions that keep out foreign competition and also encouraging more use of sugar,” said Colin Grabow, a trade specialist at the Cato Institute. “This is fantastic for them.”
Coca-Cola has indicated that its new offering, crafted with cane sugar and slated for launch this autumn, will complement its existing range of colas.
Industry experts anticipate that the plan will not precipitate an abrupt, wholesale shift to sugar, citing the ingredient’s high price and limitations in domestic supply. Nonetheless, the mere prospect of such a change reverberated throughout the food industry.
Corn syrup manufacturer Archer Daniels Midland experienced a temporary plunge of over 6% before recovering, while the Corn Refiners Association, representing corn syrup producers, cautioned against rural job losses and other adverse economic consequences.
Iowa corn farmer John Maxwell, whose family has been engaged in farming since the 1850s, expressed surprise at the former president’s stance, given his self-portrayal as a champion of American jobs.
“He’s tooted that horn real hard… so to take a stance was surprising to me,” he said.
Bob Hemesath, a hog and corn farmer in Iowa, echoed this sentiment.
“Going away from high fructose corn syrup will hurt jobs here and hurt farmers here and it kind of goes against everything the president and his administration are trying to do,” he said.
Vincent Smith, director of agricultural policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, expressed surprise that Trump would risk alienating corn growers—a key component of his base and traditionally influential in Washington.
This group is also significantly larger than sugar farmers, who number only about 4,000 in the U.S., with less than a quarter engaged in sugar cane production.
“Do you want to alienate 200,000 people or do you want to alienate 4,000 families?” he inquired, while noting that his review of political contributions between 2018 and 2022 revealed that members of the Sugar Alliance contributed more than any other agricultural interest group, despite their smaller numbers.
Trump-backed groups are among those that have received significant donations from the Fanjul family, Florida-based sugar magnates, in recent years, according to OpenSecrets.
“If you can write large cheques for the election or the president, you do get access,” Smith said.
In January, when Coca-Cola presented Trump with personalized cans of diet cola, Trump broached the subject of sugar use with the company, connecting Jose Fanjul by phone to discuss the matter, according to Josh Dawsey’s recent book, *2024: How Trump Retook the White House*.
Whether Americans will embrace the change remains to be seen.
Mexican Coke, which Coca-Cola has offered in the U.S. for two decades, has garnered a dedicated following among customers like Hayes.
However, the company’s decision to introduce it was driven more by tapping into an immigrant market and evoking nostalgia for glass bottles than by health or flavor considerations.
In recent years, its primary focus has been on expanding low- and no-sugar options, as concerns about sugar consumption and the emergence of anti-obesity drugs threaten its dominance in the beverage market.
Health experts maintain that there is no conclusive evidence to justify favoring one sweetener over the other.
Both sugars elevate all risk factors, and there is no significant difference between them, according to Kimber Stanhope, a researcher and nutritional biologist at the University of California, Davis, who has conducted studies comparing the impact of two weeks of sugar and corn syrup consumption.
She acknowledged that questions persist regarding the precise composition of corn syrup used in soda, which could potentially lead to health disparities outside of a controlled laboratory setting. However, she dismissed arguments that regular sugar is less processed as “completely quibbling,” noting that both products require the removal of fiber and other nutritional benefits.
The debate over whether Coke with cane sugar truly tastes superior is also likely to persist.
Richard Trappasse, a 48-year-old resident of Tennessee, consumes one or two Cokes daily and collects Coca-Cola memorabilia, including ornaments and vintage glass bottles. He prides himself on his ability to differentiate Coke from Pepsi based on the number of bubbles.
After hearing the buzz surrounding Mexican Coke several years ago, he enlisted his wife’s assistance in conducting a blind, side-by-side taste test of the two different formulations.
“The first thing I said was, ‘Did you put the same soda in the glass to trick me?'”, he recalled. “Then I was like, ‘They taste exactly the same’.”
Despite his own indifference, Mr. Trappasse suggested that Trump’s advocacy for sugar would resonate with individuals skeptical of corn syrup and nostalgic for the Coca-Cola of the past.
“We’re going to bring sugar back to our classic Coca-Cola product—that hits with his fans,” he said.
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