“Mexican Coke is getting a green card!” - Netizens react as Donald Trump claims Coca-Cola will be adding “real cane sugar” to their drinks soon

On July 16, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, shared his thoughts on Coca-Cola on Truth Social. He said Coca-Cola would soon start using "real cane sugar" in drinks sold in America. His post got a lot of attention online and made Coca-Cola respond.

Trump claimed in his post that he had talked to Coca-Cola. He said the company agreed to bring back cane sugar as the main sweetener. He thought this was a good thing, but he didn't give any specific dates or product details.

"I have been speaking to @CocaCola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so. I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!" –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/9L27oxlYUj

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 16, 2025

After Trump's post, Coca-Cola put out a statement about what he said. The company said it was glad people were excited about their brand. They also said they'd tell people about new products in the future. But they didn't say for sure that they had agreed to replace high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar in their U.S. drinks. Coca-Cola picks its sweeteners based on what's available and easy to make in different parts of the world. The company's website points out that drinks in the U.S. have high-fructose corn syrup in them.

On the other hand, in places like Mexico and Australia, they use cane sugar to sweeten their drinks. This distinction has been in place since the mid-1980s, when Coca-Cola adjusted its formula in the United States due to increasing sugar costs.

Internet reacts as Donald Trump claims Coca-Cola will be adding “real cane sugar” to their drinks soon

"Mexican Coke is getting a green card!," an X user commneted on the news.

Social media users shared mixed reactions to Trump’s claim about Coca-Cola bringing back cane sugar. While some welcomed the idea for taste reasons, others criticized the move’s potential cost and brought up unrelated political controversies.

"Imagine how much more expensive this will be. They moved to high fructose corn syrup because it was less expensive than sugar. The corn farmers are going to hate this idea," another user wrote.

"You can put the cane sugar back in Coke, but you can’t take Trump out of the Epstein files," one wrote.

"This is what I voted for. I search high and low for Mexican coke now I can just get an American coke. Jesus," another user commented.

"This is cool news about real cane sugar in Coke—can’t wait to taste the difference! Wonder if it’ll really be as good as they say?" another reacted.

"The British and Mexico have had coke without high fructose corn syrup for decades. Why can’t we," another user commented.

Debate over Coca-Cola’s ingredient shift grows amid health and industry concerns

In April, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey talked to investors about the company's bigger plan, which aims to cut sugar in its drinks. He said they've changed recipes and run ads to do this, but he didn't mention cane sugar. The idea of changing the formula in the U.S. has sparked responses from many people. John Bode, who heads the Corn Refiners Association, doesn't like this idea. He put out a statement saying that if they swapped high-fructose corn syrup for cane sugar, it could hurt U.S. farming and factories.

He thinks it might lead to more sugar imports and cause money problems without making the drinks healthier. The debate has also connected with wider health efforts in the public sphere. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who leads Health and Human Services, has pushed to get rid of certain food additives before. This includes high-fructose corn syrup, as part of the "Make America Healthy Again" drive.

At this point, Coca-Cola hasn't said it will change how it uses sweeteners in the U.S. People keep watching as the public, industry spokespeople, and politicians talk about this issue.