Starbucks nonprofit partnership misrepresented as RNC sponsorship | Fact check
The claim: Starbucks sponsored RNC
A July 17 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims the Republican National Convention was financially backed by the world's biggest coffee chain.
"Starbucks joins the Heritage Foundation as the official sponsor of the RNC as they roll out Project 2025," reads text within the post. "You know what to do."
The post was shared more than 30,000 times in two days. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Facebook, Threads and X, formerly Twitter.
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Our rating: False
Starbucks didn't sponsor the RNC. It partnered with the nonpartisan nonprofit that hosted the convention, providing free coffee to first responders working at the event. Starbucks said it plans to do the same for the Democratic National Convention.
No Starbucks sponsorship at RNC
The RNC concluded on July 19 with a 92-minute speech from former President Donald Trump. The convention was sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank and advocacy group behind the controversial plan to radically change the federal government known as "Project 2025."
But Jaci Anderson, a Starbucks spokesperson, told Paste BN the coffee chain didn't sponsor the RNC.
"Starbucks is providing in-kind support directly to the (Milwaukee) 2024 Host Committee by providing coffee onsite to the first responders who are serving the city during the convention," she said via email. "We are not providing a cash sponsorship of any kind."
Alec Zimmerman, a host committee spokesperson, confirmed this information in an email to Paste BN.
As Anderson and Zimmerman pointed out, Starbucks is listed as one of many partners on the Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee's website. The committee describes itself on the site as a "nonprofit, nonpartisan organization" that "serves as a liaison between the Republican National Committee, the city of Milwaukee, the state of Wisconsin and its businesses."
The committee clarifies on its website that it is a "nonpartisan entity" created to work with the city of Milwaukee to produce the RNC by performing tasks like signing contracts and securing venues, while the Republican National Committee is a separate partisan organization responsible for directing the event and selecting the Republican presidential nominee.
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Anderson said the coffee chain similarly plans to partner with the Chicago 2024 Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention.
Paste BN previously debunked claims that Starbucks was going cashless, had changed its name to "Vista Coffee" and had created a watermelon coffee mug in support of Palestinians.
Paste BN reached out to the RNC, the Chicago 2024 Host Committee and the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
PolitiFact and The Associated Press also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Jaci Anderson, July 26, Email exchange with Paste BN
- Alec Zimmerman, July 29, Email exchange with Paste BN
- Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee, accessed July 26, About
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