President Trump has many bizarre beliefs, but one that sticks out is his belief that Diet Coke kills cancer cells.

On April 14, Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, joined President Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., on the latter's podcast, Triggered with Don Jr.

During their discussion, the doctor shared a funny glimpse into President Donald Trump’s unconventional eating habits.

“Your dad argues that diet soda is good for him because it kills grass. If poured on grass, so, therefore, it must kill cancer cells inside the body.”

Oz explained that Trump defends his lifelong fondness for junk food and soda with the argument that if Diet Coke can kill grass when poured on a lawn, then it must do so to cancer cells as well.

Oz also shared an anecdote about meetings where Robert J. Kennedy Jr. is present as well. He recalled how Trump often eats from his “little candy jar” before pressing the infamous red button on his desk to get a Diet Coke.

He recalled another incident aboard Air Force One, when he walked into Trump’s office and found him enjoying Fanta at his desk.

When Oz questioned the choice, Trump reportedly repeated the same logic before allegedly offering another justification by calling the soda “fresh squeezed.”

The President has long defended his liking for sugary drinks and fast food as part of his staying healthy. Don Jr. came to his dad's defense by stating that, unlike many politicians and celebrities, Trump has never smoked, consumed a******, or abused d****.

He then joked that Diet Coke and candy are effectively “his a******.”

He added, “But then maybe he’s on to something. Because I will say this: I know a lot of guys pushing 80, not a lot have his level of energy, recall, stamina.”

The discussion about Trump’s diet rose while they were discussing the health department's initiative on changing the US nutrition guidelines, including revising what classifies as “real food”.

Most diet sodas are sweetened with aspartame, a low-calorie artificial sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) categorizes aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (group 2B).

Per the IARC, the sweetener potentially leads to cancer, precisely liver cancer.

Donald Trump’s Love for Diet Coke

Trump's love for Diet Coke followed him in every Presidential term. With every administration, the Oval Office is redecorated with the personal preferences of the existing President.

Among many others, one particular preference President Trump wanted to integrate was his 'red button', which became a known feature of his first term.

The button was used as a signal to bring him his favorite beverage, Diet Coke. It was reinstated at the beginning of his second term.

Trump’s fondness for Diet Coke was duly noted by Coca-Cola, Diet Coke's parent company.

As the President started his second term, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey presented Trump with a special gift, a limited-edition inaugural Diet Coke bottle with Trump’s name, the White House, and the date of January 20, 2025.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit