Eric Trump's Lemonade Controversy, Explained

Lemonade: a delicious summer drink, an unforgettable Beyoncé album, and fodder for Trump family internet trolls. In 2016, former President Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, went viral on social media for a very unlikely reason. Eric and his wife, Lara Trump, were seen at a Las Vegas In-N-Out, where the businessman was photographed with one of the free plastic cups intended to hold water. However, Eric didn't have water in his cup; instead, it was full of lemonade. 

The drama surrounding this supposed lemonade heist didn't start right away. Lara originally posted a photo on Instagram of Eric and her in the restaurant, which clearly shows her holding a drink in the chain's signature cup. The drink in Eric's hand, meanwhile, is almost completely out of frame. It wasn't until a social media user posted another photo on X, formerly Twitter, that Eric's improper use of a "free water" cup became public knowledge. 

This tells everything about the Trumps.. Oct 2016, this guy ran into Eric Trump at a 🍔 place. Note that Eric is drinking lemonade in the free water cup... 😳 Grifters always!!! pic.twitter.com/YECqt6qVlY

— Lola Haag (@ojailola) October 8, 2023

David Winkelman saw a picture of his friend, Grant, standing next to Eric at the restaurant and soon noticed the now-controversial cup in his hand. As Winkelman later explained to Buzzfeed News, "I posted it because it's funny to me and seemed harmless..." in reference to Eric's apparent theft. Little did he know, his tweet would ignite a firestorm. 

There's something to be said for trying to save a buck, but fans and detractors alike weren't impressed by the behavior of Eric Trump when they saw David Winkelman's tweet. Considering the fact that Fast Food Club lists the price of a small In-N-Out lemonade as just over $2, people found it hard to believe Eric couldn't have shelled out for the drink himself. Winkelman's original tweet has since been deleted, but it was widely circulated by other users on X. 

People were not shy about sharing their opinions on the situation, with many using it as an opportunity to indirectly criticize Donald Trump. For example, one X user tweeted that they would like to see Eric's antics upend Donald Trump's plans. This user fittingly hashtagged the incident #lemonadegate, while Daily Mail called it "soda gate." Whatever you call it, it's clear that the incident struck a chord. As BuzzFeed News reported, the viral photo was retweeted more than 8,000 times.

Although this incident happened in 2016, the photo of Eric and Grant resurfaced in a 2023 tweet that further condemns his behavior. The disparaging tweet says, "This tells everything about the Trumps.." and refers to the family as grifters. The fact that #lemonadegate is still part of the public consciousness after so many years proves what we already know: Social media never forgets. 

Stealing lemonade certainly isn't a capital offense, but representatives for Eric Trump still wanted to set the record straight. Sources told Daily Mail in 2016 that the lemonade wasn't stolen, but was instead handed to Eric by someone in the restaurant before the now-infamous fan photo was taken. The sources went on to explain that, although Eric was amused by the situation, he also learned a lesson from it: "He'll think twice about accepting drinks in the future as he always pays his way."

Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of this scandal was its timing. The offending photos first hit the internet toward the end of the 2016 election season, just in time to generate some additional negative buzz for Donald Trump's campaign.

Nevertheless, it wasn't the worst scandal Donald faced in his first presidential race, and it wasn't the only time someone made a connection between the Trump family and lemonade that year. As The Texas Tribune reported, former senator Ted Cruz told radio host Glenn Beck: "Donald's whole pitch is he's a great businessman, and yet his campaign right now, it appears he can't run a lemonade stand..." At least Eric wasn't the only family member giving lemonade a bad name.