The American Beverage Association (ABA) on Tuesday denied that it paid influencers on X to denigrate proposals to restrict soda from items eligible for SNAP benefits, more commonly referred to as food stamps.
Though the ABA has made clear they don&#8217;t support SNAP restrictions on soda, Merideth Potter, the organization&#8217;s senior vice president of public affairs, told The Daily Wire during a press conference “clearly and emphatically” that they did not <a href="https://x.com/Brick_Suit/status/1903255959348318254" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay influencers on X</a>. 
&#8220;There&#8217;s been some misinformation and concern growing online over the weekend that American Beverage paid influencers to post about SNAP restrictions, and I can tell you clearly and emphatically that&#8217;s false,&#8221; Potter said. &#8220;We don&#8217;t know who started that, or where that&#8217;s coming from, but we did not authorize or coordinate any such campaign.&#8221;
Over the past week or so, numerous conservative influencers began posting very similar messages on X about how restricting soda from SNAP is government overreach, a violation of personal choice, and politically unpopular. The posts also almost uniformly mentioned President Donald Trump&#8217;s love for Diet Coke, and mirrored talking points put forth by the soda industry group. 
In a statement sent to The Daily Wire on Tuesday, ABA President and CEO Kevin Keane further echoed the denial, saying it had conducted a &#8220;thorough vetting&#8221; and is &#8220;confident&#8221; that it was not involved in the effort.
&#8220;American Beverage did not authorize or coordinate the SNAP influencer campaign, nor did we authorize any of our consultants to do so. After a thorough vetting of our consultants, we are confident we had zero involvement in this effort. Further, none of those hurling these accusations have provided any proof to back up their falsehoods. Their posts are simply a reckless disregard for the truth.,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We remain unapologetic in representing an iconic American industry that fuels America. The millions of Americans whose jobs are supported by beverage manufacturing, distribution and sales deserve nothing less.&#8221;
Though some influencers have said they were paid to post the ABA-aligned talking points, and others who say they were solicited, none has thus far directly tied the industry group to the effort. But Keane&#8217;s statement outlined its case for why it opposes SNAP restrictions on soda, claiming it will likely not have an effect on obesity rates and will betray working-class families who voted for President Donald Trump.
&#8220;Proponents of SNAP restrictions say they will reduce SNAP costs and improve health. The reality is restrictions won’t save a penny or help anyone lose a pound,&#8221; Keane said. &#8220;SNAP restrictions don’t reduce SNAP benefits or who is eligible for the program – they merely enable government to dictate what can and cannot be bought. Once the government has the power to label products &#8216;good&#8217; and &#8216;bad&#8217; in one grocery store aisle, it won’t be long before it does it in two aisles and more.&#8221;
&#8220;Cutting soda from SNAP also won’t make anyone healthier,&#8221; the CEO continued. &#8220;Over the past two decades, obesity rates have risen 37% and Medicaid costs have increased 300%. Yet during that same twenty-year period, beverage calories per serving have dropped by 42%, and full-calorie soft drink sales have fallen nearly 33%. If beverages were a key driver of obesity and healthcare costs, these trends should be moving in the same direction. They’re not. Obesity is too complex of an issue to believe it can be turned around with simplistic solutions.&#8221;
Invoking politics, Keane added that proposals to restrict SNAP &#8220;run contrary to the promises made last November to lift all Americans up to a better day, not leave anyone behind again. Working-class Americans and families facing economic difficulty make the same buying decisions everyone else makes.&#8221;
&#8220;In fact, people may not realize that 80% of families on SNAP are working, they’re just not earning enough to make ends meet. Americans intrinsically understand this,&#8221; Keane said, before citing polling commissioned by the ABA: &#8220;That’s why two-thirds (64%) of Americans and <a href="https://2244cf6a.streaklinks.com/CXLZORBRkb5siAcYywzr0f8r/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanbeverage.org%2Feducation-resources%2Fblog%2Famericans-reaffirm-support-for-snap-beverage-choice%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://2244cf6a.streaklinks.com/CXLZORBRkb5siAcYywzr0f8r/https%253A%252F%252Fwww.americanbeverage.org%252Feducation-resources%252Fblog%252Famericans-reaffirm-support-for-snap-beverage-choice%252F&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1743014585157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2vHjO07Wz34Dw0dbDGec3x">the majority of voters say soft drinks should be allowed to be purchased with SNAP benefits</a>.&#8221;
&#8220;Look, making America healthier is in our collective interest, but we shouldn’t create a conservative nanny state of restrictions, bans and overregulation,&#8221; the CEO added. &#8220;We should trust all Americans, including low-income, to make the best choices for themselves by delivering clear, transparent information and more choices in the grocery store. And you’ll be hard pressed to find an industry that’s done more to deliver just that.&#8221;
Currently, about 1 in 8 Americans receive SNAP benefits, with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-heart-association-retracts-food-stamp-soda-opposition">soda</a> as the most frequently purchased item. About 10% of all SNAP spending goes toward soda and sugary drinks, and another 10% toward junk food. American taxpayers reportedly subsidize roughly <a href="https://www.ibtimes.com/soft-drinks-snap-benefits-congress-3756667?utm_source=chatgpt.com">$4 billion</a> worth of soda products through SNAP, with low-income adults drinking about two sugary drinks daily. 
There’s been a strong push to restrict soda, candy, and other unhealthy options from purchases being made with SNAP. Proponents argue that it&#8217;s necessary in light of America’s obesity and overall health crisis, in addition to concerns about how taxpayer money is spent. Federally, these changes have been discussed openly by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who plays a key role in administering these benefits. There are also numerous bills in the House looking to federally restrict junk food and soda from SNAP. 
Moreover, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has asked the federal government to allow her state to restrict SNAP. Lawmakers have made similar moves in Idaho, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana, Texas, and Wyoming, among others. 
<a href="https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/03/west-virginia-becomes-first-state-to-pass-sweeping-ban-on-artificial-food-dyes/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">West Virginia</a> has also just passed a bill that bans a number of food dyes often found in junk food and sugary drinks, which will have an effect on the soda industry, too. Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) signed the bill into law on Monday; it will go into effect in 2028, though it will apply to school food programs this summer. 
Potter specifically discussed the West Virginia law during the Tuesday press conference, arguing that it will hurt West Virginia consumers and the economy over ingredients that have been “proven safe.” Potter also said the ban was “rushed” and beverage companies would need at least five years to phase out or update recipes.

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Soda Lobby Group American Beverage Denies Paying Influencers To Fight SNAP Restrictions

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Soda Lobby Group American Beverage Denies Paying Influencers To Fight SNAP Restrictions