Trump’s Sweet Deal: Coca-Cola, Cane Sugar, and the Fanjul Family

Donald Trump says he convinced Coca-Cola to ditch corn syrup and switch to real cane sugar. It sounds like a health move—another headline under RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign. But this isn’t about nutrition. It’s about money, influence, and political payback.

Let’s connect the dots.

The Fanjul family—longtime sugar barons and major Trump donors—own Central Romana, the Dominican sugar giant. Their empire stretches from Florida cane fields to the Caribbean, producing sugar for brands like Domino, C&H, and Florida Crystals. But in 2022, the U.S. government banned their sugar imports, citing evidence of forced labor, debt bondage, and horrific conditions for Haitian migrant workers.

The ban cost them millions and tarnished their name.

Fast-forward to 2025: Trump quietly lifts the ban. Weeks later, he starts pressuring Coca-Cola to switch to “real cane sugar” in U.S. products. And suddenly, the Fanjuls—whose sugar was too toxic for import two years ago—are poised for a comeback, rebranded through a $2 Coke.

Trump frames it as anti-obesity. But this shift doesn’t improve health outcomes. What it does do is redirect demand toward cane sugar—sourced largely from Florida and the Dominican Republic—and away from Midwest corn syrup, putting pressure on corn farmers in swing states like Iowa.

This is a backdoor bailout for the Fanjul family. It’s brand rehab disguised as public health.

And it’s not subtle. Pepe Fanjul hosted Trump at a $10 million Palm Beach fundraiser. His company poured over a million dollars into Trump-aligned PACs. When the labor ban hit, Fanjul personally lobbied a former U.S. Senator for help, citing their long friendship.

So now, with one nudge to Coca-Cola, Trump’s returning the favor—rewriting the narrative, restoring the market, and sweetening the deal for one of his most powerful allies.

This isn’t about Coke. It’s about corruption hiding in plain sight.