Sofia Martinez
In 2019, Donald Trump's reelection campaign began selling plastic straws branded with his name. The campaign website sold packs of 10 red, laser-engraved straws for \$15, with the tagline: Liberal paper straws don't work. Stand with President Trump and buy your recyclable straws today. The product was pitched as a pushback against efforts to ban plastic straws, with Trump supporters applauding the move. However, environmental groups criticized the campaign, stating that most plastic straws cannot be recycled and that the president was treating the environment as a joke.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of straws | 10 |
| Price | $15 |
| Delivery fee to New York City | $5.06 |
| Length | 9 inches |
| Colour | Red |
| Recyclable | Yes |
| Reusable | Yes |
| Engraving | Laser-engraved with "Trump" |
| Tagline | "Liberal paper straws don't work" |
| Fundraising | $460,000 |
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What You'll Learn
The Trump campaign sold $460,000 worth of plastic straws
In 2019, Donald Trump's reelection campaign sold packs of ten plastic straws for $15, with a $5.06 delivery fee to New York City. The straws were nine inches long, bright red, and laser-engraved with Trump's name. The campaign website advertised the straws with the tagline: "Liberal paper straws don't work. Stand with President Trump and buy your pack of recyclable straws today."
The idea for the straws came from Brad Parscale, Trump's 2020 campaign manager. Parscale tweeted about the new straws, saying, "Make Straws Great Again." He also compared the efficacy of paper straws to "liberal progress," tweeting, "This is exactly what they would do to the economy as well. Squeeze it until it doesn't work."
The sale of plastic straws by the Trump campaign was met with criticism from environmental groups, who pointed out that most plastic straws cannot actually be recycled and that the material they are made of has no practicable use. Despite this, the Trump campaign raised $460,000 from selling the plastic straws.
The sale of plastic straws by the Trump campaign can be seen as a way to trigger and troll liberals, with the campaign website explicitly positioning the straws as an alternative to "liberal" paper straws. The straws were also marketed as reusable and recyclable, which is questionable as plastic straws are often too small and flimsy to be recycled.
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The straws were branded and sold in packs of 10 for $15
In 2019, Donald Trump's reelection campaign began selling packs of 10 plastic straws for $15. The straws were branded with the word "TRUMP" and were advertised as being nine inches long and bright red—matching the colour of Trump's "Make America Great Again" baseball caps. The sale of these straws was positioned as a response to "liberal paper straws", which the campaign store claimed were ineffective. The tagline "Liberal paper straws don't work. Stand with President Trump and buy your recyclable straws today" was used to promote the product.
The idea for the straws came from Trump's 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, who was frustrated by the ineffectiveness of paper straws. The product was intended to tap into the culture war surrounding single-use plastics, with some cities and businesses implementing bans or limitations on plastic straws due to environmental concerns. While the Trump straws were marketed as recyclable, critics pointed out that most plastic straws cannot be recycled due to their lightweight construction and the type of plastic used.
The sale of these straws generated significant revenue for the Trump campaign, bringing in approximately $500,000 in just one week. The product's success highlights how Trump has built his surname into a global brand, with his campaign merchandise going beyond the typical offerings of T-shirts, stickers, and buttons. The Trump-Pence 2020 site featured a range of items, including those that mocked the Russia investigation and featured some of Trump's popular tweets.
The plastic straws sold by the Trump campaign can be seen as a strategic move to trigger liberals and environmentalists who advocate for the reduction of single-use plastics. While Trump himself acknowledged that plastic waste was an issue, his response to a question about banning plastic straws was surprisingly reasonable, noting that other single-use plastics, such as cups and plates, also contribute significantly to plastic pollution. Despite this, the sale of branded plastic straws by his campaign sent a conflicting message, prioritising trolling political opponents over genuine environmental concerns.
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The campaign targeted anti-liberal sentiments
The Trump campaign's sale of plastic straws was a targeted attempt to trigger anti-liberal sentiments. The campaign website sells packs of 10 plastic straws "laser engraved" with Trump's name for $15, with the tagline: "Liberal paper straws don't work". The bright-red straws are the same shade as Trump's ubiquitous "Make America Great Again" baseball caps.
The idea for the straws came from Brad Parscale, Trump's 2020 campaign manager. Parscale was irked when a paper straw he was using ripped in half. He tweeted about the new straws, saying, "Make Straws Great Again." He also compared the efficacy of paper straws to "liberal progress," tweeting, "This is exactly what they would do to the economy as well. Squeeze it until it doesn't work."
The sale of the straws came after restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, and airlines started banning single-use plastic straws for environmental reasons, favouring alternatives like paper straws. Some cities, like Seattle, have completely banned plastic straws, while other cities and states have passed legislation limiting their use. Environmental groups have criticized Trump's straws, saying that most plastic straws cannot actually be recycled and that the material they are made of has no practicable use.
Trump supporters applauded the move, with one saying she planned to take them to restaurants that only offer paper straws. The sale of the straws tapped into anti-liberal sentiments, with some seeing the use of paper straws as an example of "liberal progress" gone too far. The straws sold out initially and raised $460,000 for Trump's reelection campaign.
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The campaign message was Make Straws Great Again
In 2019, Donald Trump's reelection campaign began selling branded plastic straws as an alternative to paper straws. The campaign website advertised the straws with the tagline: "Liberal paper straws don't work. Stand with President Trump and buy your recyclable straws today." The product description aimed to rile those who are keen to protect the environment from plastic pollution.
The campaign message was "Make Straws Great Again". This was a play on Trump's "'Make America Great Again' slogan, with the red straws being the same shade as the famous MAGA hats. The straws were also "'laser engraved' with Trump's name.
The idea for the straws came from Trump's 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, who was irritated when a paper straw he was using ripped in half. Parscale tweeted a photo of the straws with the caption: "Making Straws Great Again". The straws sold out initially and raised $460,000 for Trump's reelection campaign.
The sale of the straws was part of a larger culture war that Trump's campaign has been attempting to stoke. The campaign website also sold merchandise knocking former special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and shirts and stickers featuring some of Trump's most popular tweets. The straws were another example of trolling by the Trump campaign, with one journalist joking that "sea turtles are underrepresented in the Electoral College."
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The straws were red and laser-engraved with Trump's name
In 2019, Donald Trump's reelection campaign began selling plastic straws. The straws were red and laser-engraved with Trump's name. They were sold in packs of 10 for $15, with a $5.06 delivery fee to New York City. The campaign website advertised the straws with the tagline: "Liberal paper straws don't work." The idea for the straws came from Trump's 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, who was irritated when a paper straw he was using ripped in half.
The straws were nine inches long and bright red—the same shade as Trump's "Make America Great Again" baseball caps. They were branded with a laser-engraved "TRUMP" at one end. The Trump campaign store also sold other merchandise, such as "Make America Great Again" hats, T-shirts, cups, towels, and even dog leashes.
The sale of plastic straws by the Trump campaign was seen as a way to troll liberals and environmentalists who were concerned about plastic waste and its impact on the environment. Environmental groups criticized the move, saying that most plastic straws cannot actually be recycled and that the material they are made of has no practicable use. They argued that the environment was nothing more than a "joke" to the president.
Despite the criticism, the straws were a commercial success for the Trump campaign. They sold out within hours of being launched and brought in over $450,000 in sales in the first 10 days. The success of the straws was likely due to the hope of riling up liberals and anyone concerned about plastic pollution. The sale of the straws also attracted interest from first-time donors to the Trump campaign.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Trump campaign is selling packs of 10 plastic straws for $15. The straws are red, laser-engraved with Trump's name, and supposedly recyclable.
The Trump campaign is selling plastic straws as a pushback against efforts to ban them. The product description on the Trump campaign website reads: "Liberal paper straws don't work. STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP and buy your pack of recyclable straws today."
The Trump campaign raised almost $500,000 in one week from selling plastic straws, according to Trump's 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale.
