Have you ever gotten irrationally angry at a straw? Probably not… unless you were super thirsty and really wanted a soda or iced coffee and were already in a bad mood. But even then, the answer is probably no.
It doesn’t come as a massive shock that Donald Trump isn’t even one month into his second Presidential term and he’s already coming up with evil plans. He’s also mad at paper straws. Yes, really. Here’s what’s going on.
Is Donald Trump getting rid of paper straws?
After saying paper straws aren’t “working too good” at a 2020 rally, Trump is back on his paper-straw hating B.S. and hoping to halt Joe Biden’s policy to stop single-use plastic. Trump posted on Truth Social that he is going to sign an executive order to get rid of paper straws the week of Feb. 10, 2025. As he passionately declared, “BACK TO PLASTIC!”
Since Biden’s hope was that no more single-use plastic would be part of government food service packaging, events, and operations by 2027, Trump’s new policy is a giant step back. But according to Trump, “Liberal paper straws don’t work.” That’s a real quote from straws made during Trump’s 2020 campaign. I didn’t know that straws could be conservative or liberal, but you learn something new every day.
If Trump hates paper straws so much, he could just stop using them? I’m pretty sure he can still locate plastic ones if he’s so inclined. (Oh wait, McDonald’s uses paper straws, so that explains a lot.) Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I used a straw, but unlike Trump, I care about the environment and don’t think that one person’s opinion should dictate policy for an entire country.
Trump isn’t the only one with a bone to pick against plastic straws. I truly didn’t realize they inspired such passion. Corey Tochor, the Saskatoon-University MP, supported a bill to bring back plastic straws. Tochor posted on X that his two sons “hate the paper straw for milkshakes, for Slurpees, or anything.” He added of paper straws, “They suck.” Sorry, but forgoing policies that protect the environment because of milkshakes and Slurpees seems like a reach. I’m not a conservative politician, though. Maybe there’s something in the government water that makes you go on a rant against paper?
Sure, it’s important to note that paper straws are said to have forever chemical PFAS, thanks to a 2023 study by Food Additives and Contaminants that looked at bamboo and paper straws. (I would wonder what Trump thinks of bamboo straws, but he’s probably never heard of them.) But nothing is perfect, and using plastic straws is still a bad idea. Plastic straws are discovered in landfills and in animals, which is horrible. How could anyone be against stopping that? Oh, right, this is Trump we’re talking about. Also, every bit counts, and taking small steps is better than doing noting at all.
Trump’s war on paper straws is just one of a long list of anti-environment policies he wants to put into place. His focus on gas and oil and withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement are just some examples, along with his constant refusal to understand the problem of climate change. Considering the fact that it’s only Feb. 2025 and Trump is going to be in power for four years, I hate to think of all the Biden policies he’s going to undo, and all the other terrible ideas he’s going to insist on making a reality. Okay, now I’m as angry as Trump is at paper straws.
Published: Feb 7, 2025 03:03 pm