Donald Trump’s preference for diet soda has been visible throughout his time in office, with the fizzy drink frequently spotted at official events and in day-to-day moments around the President.
Until recently, the habit was largely seen as simple taste. However, Dr. Mehmet Oz has suggested there is a health-related explanation Trump cites for choosing diet drinks.
Speaking on an episode of Donald Trump Jr’s podcast, Triggered with Don Jr., on Monday, April 13, Dr.Oz said: “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 then described a moment aboard Air Force One, recalling what he saw when he went to speak with the President.
“You know, we were on Air Force One the other day, and I walk in there because he wants to talk about something, and he’s got an orange soft drink on his desk. He’s got a Fanta on the desk,” Oz said. “And I say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ So he starts to, like, sheepishly grin. He says, ‘You know, this stuff’s good for me, it kills cancer cells.’ ”
Oz — a former cardiothoracic surgeon and TV figure who now heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — also touched on Trump’s apparent fondness for Fanta, the orange soda made by Coca-Cola, joking that the President frames it as if it were “freshly squeezed.”
Don Jr. responded by suggesting there may be something to Trump’s approach, pointing to the President’s energy levels.
“OK, OK,” Don Jr. interjected, “but then maybe he’s onto something. Because I will say this: I know a lot of guys pushing 80 — not a lot have his level of energy, recall, stamina.”
Despite the claims floated in the conversation, there is no confirmed research showing diet soda “kills cancer cells.” Diet sodas also do not provide nutritional benefits in the way whole foods do. That said, they can help some people cut back on sugar and calories if they are used to replace full-sugar soft drinks.
Oz’s remarks about Trump’s eating and drinking habits arrive as the Department of Health and Human Services has refreshed U.S. nutrition guidance this year, with messaging that encourages households to emphasize protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains in an effort to “Make America Healthy Again.”
While this direction is intended to push Americans away from ultra-processed foods, Trump’s reputation for sticking with fast food has long been part of his public image.
Discussing that preference, Oz said Trump’s choices are influenced by concerns about getting sick and by a belief that large chains have consistent standards.
Reflecting on Trump’s love of fast food, Oz explained: “He doesn’t want to get sick, so he eats junk food, but it’s food made in large, reputable chains because they have quality control.”
Trump has previously voiced a similar sentiment about why he trusts major fast food brands.
“I’m a very clean person. I like cleanliness,” Trump previously told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in 2016. “And I think you’re better off going there than someplace that you maybe have no idea where the food is coming from.”