· The Coca-Cola Company presented Donald Trump with a commemorative bottle of Diet Coke to celebrate his inauguration. The tradition dates back to 2005, when George Bush received one.
Eight years ago, when Donald Trump was first sworn in as president, the Coca-Cola Company got it wrong. The company offered a commemorative bottle of its flagship product to the incoming president to recognize his presidency. Problem was: Trump doesn’t drink Coke. He’s a Diet Coke fan.
So, as the transfer of power is set to take place Monday, the Atlanta-based soda giant is correcting that error. On Wednesday, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey presented Trump with a customized commemorative bottle of Diet Coke instead.
Trump, according to some reports, would drink as many as 12 cans of Diet Coke a day during his first term. Still, as many tech companies have aligned themselves with Trump’s inauguration, the president-elect’s critics are turning their attentions to Coke.
The company, however, notes this sort of gift for an incoming president is nothing new and not a partisan statement.
“The Coca-Cola Company has a tradition of creating commemorative Coca-Cola bottles in celebration of U.S. presidential inaugurations, dating back to 2005,” a spokesperson said. “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. With over 60 bottling partners, we generate $58 billion in U.S. economic activity and support 860,000 jobs annually. This meeting reinforces our commitment to strengthening America's economic future.”
Want one of the commemorative bottles? You’re out of luck, unless you have some serious connections.
The inauguration bottles will not be sold at retail, but a limited number are being made for the White House and will be distributed at inauguration events.
