President Trump signed an executive order Monday calling for the return of plastic straws and doing away with paper ones. 

“We’re going back to plastic straws. These things don’t work,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I’ve had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode.”

Mr. Trump has previously slammed paper straws, an initiative by then-President Biden to phase out the use of single-use plastics, like plastic straws, from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027 and from all federal operations by 2035.

“Plastic production and waste have doubled over the past two decades, littering our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near production facilities, and threatening public health,” the Biden administration said.

On Friday, Mr. Trump hinted the executive order was coming.

“I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!,” Mr. Trump wrote.

In another post over the weekend, Mr. Trump said the paper straw mandate is “dead.”

“Crooked Joe’s MANDATE, ‘NO PLASTIC STRAWS, ONLY PAPER,’ IS DEAD! Enjoy your next drink without a straw that disgustingly dissolves in your mouth!!!” he wrote.

During his 2020 presidential campaign, Mr. Trump sold packs of straws to raise money for his campaign and reportedly raised nearly $500,000.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.