The Coca-Cola company was widely criticized after James Quincey, its Chairman and CEO, presented President-elect Donald Trump with a Diet Coke bottle commemorating his upcoming inauguration.
The label on the bottle displayed Trump’s name, the date of his anticipated second inauguration, and an image of the White House. Trump is known to be a big fan of Diet Coke—he reportedly drinks 12 bottles per day—and he had an Oval Office button that aided in the delivery of the soda during his first presidency.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola said:
“The Coca-Cola Company has a tradition of creating commemorative Coca-Cola bottles in celebration of U.S. presidential inaugurations, dating back to 2005."
"James Quincey, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, met with President Elect Donald Trump to present a commemorative bottle of Diet Coke and to highlight Coca-Cola’s contributions to the U.S. economy.”
Trump campaign spokesperson Margo Martin shared photos on social media of Trump with Quincey and of the bottle itself, writing that Trump received “the first ever Presidential Commemorative Inaugural Diet Coke bottle.”
You can see her post and the photographs below.
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Many were outraged and criticized Coca-Cola for its PR stunt commemorating the president-elect, who has made clear his efforts to further undermine and gut our nation's democratic institutions.
Coca-Cola is the latest company to align itself with Trump's inauguration.
Already, companies—a list that includes Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Boeing—have come forward and reportedly donated to the inauguration fund.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has reportedly contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. Recent changes at Meta include the replacement of fact-checking features, the removal of tampons from men’s restrooms in its offices, and the discontinuation of its primary DEI initiatives, a sign of its alignment with GOP and the current political climate.
Similarly, Google, led by CEO Sundar Pichai and currently embroiled in antitrust litigation in the United States, has also reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund.
Boeing, known for its contributions to previous presidential inaugurations—including Trump’s in 2017—has donated $1 million as well. Notably, Sean Duffy, Trump’s nominee for Transportation Secretary, recently stated the administration’s focus on ensuring the safety of Boeing’s aircraft production.
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