Trump sees 'bigger problems' than plastic straws, sells own brand on campaign website
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Trump on Friday questioned efforts in communities across the country to ban plastic straws while plates and wrappers get a pass.
"I do think we have bigger problems than plastic staws," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing for New Jersey. "What about the plates, the wrappers and everything else that are much bigger and they're made of the same material?"
Trump's 2020 campaign is taking his statements a step further, selling its own plastic straws to replace "liberal paper straws."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FED UP MCDONALD'S CUSTOMERS DITCH PAPER STRAWS FOR COFFEE LIDS
"Liberal paper straws don’t work. STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP and buy your pack of recyclable straws today," said the product description on the campaign website.
A pack of 10 BPA-free straws sells for $15; the straws themselves are "laser engraved" with Trump's name. As of Friday, they had sold out.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, tweeted a photo of the straws on Thursday with the caption "Making Straws Great Again #Trump2020."
Reaction to the product has been somewhat mixed.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN UNVEILS ‘PENCIL-NECK ADAM SCHIFF’ T-SHIRTS FOR SALE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Sea turtles are under-represented in the Electoral College," tweeted David Frum, an editor for The Atlantic and a speechwriter for former President George W. Bush.
Donald Trump Jr. tweeted the straws may not be legal in some states.
Municipalities and companies across the United States have begun ditching plastic straws in favor of paper or metal ones in an effort to reduce waste and harm to the environment. However, some have complained that biodegradable straws dissolve too quickly.
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Starbucks has vowed to eliminate plastic straws in all its stores by 2020 in favor of "alternative-material straw options" and a "recyclable strawless lid."
In California, diners have to specifically ask for plastic straws after a law went into effect this year banning full-service restaurants from automatically giving them out.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Florida lawmakers did the opposite, passing legislation prohibiting plastic straw bans in cities.