In a notable turnaround, Coca-Cola honored Donald Trump with a custom Diet Coke bottle, underscoring his famous soft drink preference. This move contrasts sharply with the company's condemnation of the J6 Capitol riot four years ago, drawing renewed attention to its evolving relationship with the former president.
It would appear that the Coca-Cola Company has moved over their initial shock regarding the attack that occurred on January 6 and is now assisting President-elect Donald Trump in celebrating his inauguration.
James Quincey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Coca-Cola Company, presented President Trump with the very first Presidential Commemorative Inaugural Diet Coke bottle tonight, according to a post made by Margo Martin, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, on Tuesday.
An image of Trump and Quincey sitting together was posted on the internet, along with a bespoke Diet Coke bottle that contained Trump's name, the date of his inauguration, and a picture of the White House.
Trump is infamous for his fondness of Diet Coke; he even had a special button built on the Resolute Desk that he could push to instruct workers to bring him a freshly-chilled can. This button is scheduled to be reintroduced by the time he steps foot inside the Oval Office once more by President Trump.
Nevertheless, the commemorative inaugural bottle and photo-op are a striking contrast to the reaction of the Coca-Cola Company four years ago.
Per The Raw Story, at that time, the company condemned the crowd that stormed the Capitol in response to Trump's conspiracy theories that the presidential election of 2020 had been stolen from him. They referred to the event as "an offense to democracy."
According to the statement that was made at the time, the soda brand stated that the United States of America has been a shining example of democracy for nearly 250 years, illuminating for the rest of the world the ways in which different points of view and ideas can contribute to the general improvement of society.
"We are all stunned by the unlawful and violent events that unfolded in Washington, D.C. With the election results now certified, we have faith in America's democratic institutions to ensure a peaceful transfer of power and allow the U.S. to move forward together as one nation."
Coca-Cola is not the only company that contributed millions of dollars to Trump's inauguration; a wide range of CEOs, including some who have been critical of Trump, did so as well.
