Have you ever gotten irrationally angry at a straw? Probably not—unless you were desperately craving a soda or iced coffee and already in a bad mood. But even then, you likely wouldn’t declare war on paper straws.
Yet, less than a month into his second term, former President Donald Trump is doing exactly that. Alongside his usual political agenda, Trump has fixated on one unusual target: banning paper straws. Yes, really.
At a 2020 rally, Trump famously complained that paper straws weren’t “working too good.” Now, in 2025, he’s doubling down. Trump announced on Truth Social that he plans to sign an executive order reversing Joe Biden’s policy on eliminating single-use plastics.
“I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!”
— Donald Trump, Truth Social Post (Feb. 7, 2025)
Biden’s policy aimed to phase out single-use plastics in government food service packaging and operations by 2027, a move meant to combat pollution and protect the environment. However, Trump sees this as unnecessary liberal overreach. In his view, paper straws are a symbol of everything wrong with “woke” policies—despite the fact that they’re simply an attempt to reduce plastic waste.
Trump’s disdain for paper straws isn’t new. His 2020 re-election campaign even sold plastic straws branded with “Liberal paper straws don’t work.” It’s unclear why he has such a personal vendetta against them, but one thing is certain: he’s making paper straws political.
Of course, if Trump personally dislikes paper straws, he could just… not use them? Plastic straws are still widely available, and plenty of businesses—like McDonald’s—offer paper alternatives but don’t force them on customers. If he’s that upset, maybe it’s just a McDonald’s grievance?
Trump isn’t alone in his crusade against paper straws. Canadian MP Corey Tochor has also championed the cause, introducing a bill to bring back plastic straws in Canada. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tochor claimed that his two sons “hate the paper straw for milkshakes, for Slurpees, or anything” before bluntly adding: “They suck.”
Now, disliking soggy paper straws is one thing, but reversing environmental policies because of a bad Slurpee experience? That’s next-level irrational.
One of the few legitimate concerns about paper straws is that they may contain forever chemicals (PFAS). A 2023 study by Food Additives and Contaminants found traces of PFAS in bamboo and paper straws. But does that mean we should ditch them entirely?
Not exactly. Plastic straws are a much bigger environmental problem. They clog landfills, harm marine life, and take hundreds of years to break down. Paper straws, even with their flaws, remain the more eco-friendly option.
Trump’s bigger anti-climate agenda
Trump’s crusade against paper straws is just a small piece of his broader anti-environmental policies. During his first term, he:
- Rolled back over 100 environmental regulations
- Withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement
- Prioritized oil and gas over renewable energy
Now, just weeks into his second term, he’s already focused on undoing Biden’s environmental policies—starting with something as trivial as paper straws. If this is what he’s prioritizing now, what’s next?
At the end of the day, Trump’s war on paper straws is more about scoring political points than solving real problems. While no one loves soggy straws, plastic pollution is a real issue—one that can’t be ignored just because Trump finds paper straws annoying.
With four more years ahead, this is just the start of his environmental rollbacks. If an entire executive order can be dedicated to something as petty as straws, we can only imagine what else is coming.