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Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images

As the scandal over his administration’s botched release of the Jeffrey Epstein files was escalating last week, President Trump tried to change the conversation with BREAKING Coca-Cola news. He posted on Truth Social:

Based on this post, it was widely reported that Coca-Cola was switching the sweetener used in regular Coke sold in the United States from high-fructose corn syrup to cane sugar. In other countries, such as Mexico, cane sugar has always been part of the regular Coke recipe, but the company began using high-fructose corn syrup in the U.S. version in 1980.

Weirdly, Coca-Cola would not confirm this news last week, and the company even put out statements defending corn syrup. Now we know why: Coca-Cola isn’t changing the recipe of original Coke; it’s just releasing an additional version of its soda that will be made with cane sugar. The company said in its second-quarter earnings report released on Tuesday:

As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range. This addition is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.

So was Trump’s post the proverbial “fake news”? Trump never actually used the word switching in his post. However, this was a reasonable inference given the context. The president was taking time out of his busy schedule to announce he had negotiated a big Coke development. Coca-Cola’s changing the recipe of its iconic beverage in the U.S. is huge news. Adding a new soda variety that will sit on shelves alongside the current version of U.S. Coke is not — particularly since it’s not that hard to obtain Mexican Coke in the U.S. The company announced it was adding Coca-Cola Spice to its lineup in February 2024 and there was no statement from President Biden urging Americans to try this new and exciting product.

But sure, a lot of outlets, including this one, misinterpreted what Trump was saying. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and move forward. Now we know the president’s Truth Social feed isn’t just for big news like warning Israel not to bomb Iran or threatening to incarcerate Barack Obama. It’s also a space where the leader of the free world might let us know the McPizza is back or the limited-edition Selena Gomez Oreos really do taste like horchata. You just never know!

Coke Isn’t ‘Switching’ to Cane Sugar, Despite Trump Post

Coke Isn’t ‘Switching’ to Cane Sugar, Despite Trump Post