Dr. Oz Reveals What President Trump Allegedly Believes Kills Cancer Cells, but Oncologists Disagree
Whether you love him or hate him, President Trump has a notorious love of fast food. Just recently, he staged a DoorDash delivery of McDonald's to the Oval Office to promote the "no tax on tips" policy. While many of Trump's sycophantic cabinet members enthusiastically agree with him, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who serves as Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Trump administration, seemingly draws the line at his love of fast food.
Recently, Donald Trump Jr. sat down for an interview with Dr. Oz on his podcast, Triggered, and the two began chatting about Trump's love of Diet Coke and the wild superpower he thinks it has.
@nowthisimpact Is this why Trump cut funding for cancer research?
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"Your dad argues that diet soda is good for him because it kills grass – if poured on grass – so, therefore, it must kill cancer cells inside the body," Oz said on Triggered with Don Jr, the president's eldest son's podcast."
Oz then went on to share an equally puzzling moment on board Air Force One.
"You know, we were on Air Force One the other day, and I walk in there because he wants to talk about something, and he's got an orange soft drink on his desk. He's got a Fanta on the desk," Oz said. "And I say, ‘Are you kidding me?' So he starts to, like, sheepishly grin. He says, ‘You know, this stuff's good for me – it kills cancer cells.' And then he tells me, 'it's fresh squeezed, so how bad could it be?'"
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The pair seemed to mutually laugh at the concept and scoff at the remarks.
People had mixed reactions to the unfounded statements, ranging from disbelief to disgust.
"This would be really funny if he weren't the president," wrote one follower on the NowThis' TikTok clip of the now viral moment.
"He also recommended drinking bleach during the pandemic," reminded another.
Related: Oncologists Say This Popular Air Fryer Mistake Could Increase Cancer Risk
Oncologists Do Not Agree With the Commander in Chief
Most doctors have a very different opinion about diet soda. In fact, quite the opposite.
Dr. Mary Chamberlin, MD, a breast oncologist at Dartmouth Health, once told Parade that quitting carbonated beverages with sugar or artificial sweeteners could even reduce your risk of cancer.
"This reduces intake of known carcinogens or inflammatory triggers," she says.
Scientific research shows that drinking two or more sodas a week could largely increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Chamberlin recommends drinking unsweetened seltzers, herbal teas, or plain water in place of the harmful drink.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 11:07 AM.