Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s perturbing decide to be the secretary of well being and human providers, has lengthy been involved in regards to the well being impacts of corn syrup and seed oils. But when he’s confirmed, there could be one huge wrinkle in his plan to “fix the food system”: Corn syrup and corn oil are largely produced in Trump nation.
One employee in Decatur, Illinois, informed The New York Occasions that eradicating corn syrups and oils might negatively influence the livelihoods of the realm’s residents.
“It’d have a huge impact,” stated a person named Tyler, who was recognized by solely his first identify. “That shuts down Central Illinois, if [the Archer Daniels Midland wet mill] shuts down”
The potential financial anxieties are weighing on the realm’s residents, who strongly lean Republican. However Democrats have expressed nervousness too. An area Democratic state legislator informed the Occasions that she desires the pursuits of employees of their space to be balanced with well being issues. (Kennedy has rightly warned that consuming too many added sugars can contribute to heart problems and different diseases.)
However with Trump’s deliberate tariffs, that are anticipated to ratchet up the worth of imported items, an assault on corn syrup might make a foul financial scenario worse. For his half, Kennedy advocates buying and selling corn-based sweeteners for these extracted from cane sugars. Nevertheless, that is costlier and in direct battle with Trump’s “Buy American” plans since most of America’s cane sugar is imported.
The Occasions’ reporting urged that some space residents, who at the moment are involved in regards to the influence to their mills, weren’t initially nervous a couple of second Trump presidency as a result of they’ve handled threats to corn syrup earlier than. The brand new proposals from Kennedy, nevertheless, look completely different. Apparently, no others have waged a battle of corn syrups and oils with the identical stage of enthusiasm as Kennedy.
“We don’t know what it’s like to have a secretary that’s trying to drive the debate,” Rodney M. Weinzierl, the manager director of the Illinois Corn Growers Affiliation, informed the Occasions. “Anything that causes uncertainty, you start paying more attention to it.”
And but Kennedy’s menace to native financial prosperity hasn’t persuaded the realm’s voters to show towards the president-elect. In Macon County, which is anchored in Decatur, almost 60% of voters went for Trump in November. One resident stated he thinks their jobs shall be protected as a result of—if nothing else—“Elon [Musk] will figure it out,” referring to the mega-billionaire who is anticipated to move a toothless advisory fee completely separate from the Division of Well being and Human Companies.
However is it actually attainable that Kennedy, if confirmed, will “Make America Healthy Again” with out alienating Trump’s rural base of help? In spite of everything, Trump, well-known lover of quick meals, has not but immediately commented on Kennedy’s campaign towards corn syrup and corn oil.
After all, this might show to be an occasion the place a Trump appointee has to water down his proposals to be able to appease those that helped his boss get the place he’s within the first place.
However on condition that Kennedy is a vaccine skeptic, purveyor of bizarre conspiracy theories, and proponent of varied controversial well being stances, it’d be pretty ironic if his halfway-decent plan to focus on processed meals is the factor that finally ends up turning a few of rural America towards Trump.
