Woke paper straw proponents are losing their minds over MAGA-fueled plastic sipper resurgence

They’re grasping for straws.Devout paper straw enthusiasts are speaking out as public opinion about the environmentally friendly sipper shifts to favor plastic.Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to reverse former President Joe Biden’s plastic straw ban — and eco-conscious zealots aren’t happy.“I was just in complete panic,” Karrie Laughton, the co-owner of Roc Paper Straws, told the Wall Street Journal, referring to the day she heard Trump’s remarks.But she’s no sucker.Laughton spends a few nights every week hitting back at critics on social media who advocate for plastic, informing haters that the flimsy paper straws are likely made in other countries, whereas hers claim to last 24 hours.“It’s exhausting,” the Rochester business owner said, adding that the executive order hasn’t hurt business but she has noticed an uptick in anti-paper straw discourse online.“I didn’t think I’d have to fight so hard for a straw, but I’ll keep fighting.”While plastic was villainized as a threat to wildlife and oceans, the nature of the paper alternative — which disintegrates with prolonged contact with a beverage or breaks and tears too easily — was the last straw.“These things don’t work,” Trump said of paper straws while signing the executive order.“I’ve had them many times.

On occasion they break, they explode.”Even Jon Stewart, the host of “The Daily Show,” agreed, according to The Journal, saying Trump was “right” and calling paper straws “f—ing terrible.”Meanwhile, New Yorker Charlie Greenman told The Journal that he likes the feeling of drinking through paper, saying it “has more bite to it.” In fact, the software company founder doesn’t mind how quickly the paper dissolves, saying it acts like a “countdown timer” for how quickly he has to finish his meal.“It’s almost like this symbol of division,” Laughton said.“People get really fired up about straws.” ...