Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), leader of the Democrat majority in the Senate is targeting YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI over their energy drink, Prime, which Schumer says has an overly-high caffeine content — despite the fact that a number of other energy drinks have a similar or higher level of caffeine.
It’s clear that the Democrat Senate leader means business. Schumer has gone beyond merely condemning Prime — he has sent a letter to the FDA urging an investigation.
Calling Prime a “cauldron of caffeine,” Schumer wrote that “many physicians have have serious concern for Prime.”
AUSTIN, TEXAS – JULY 10: PRIME energy drinks are displayed for sale on shelves at a Walmart Supercenter on July 10, 2023 in Austin, Texas. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) has called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate Youtube stars Logan Paul and KSI’s energy drink PRIME. The call for the investigation comes after Schumer claimed that the high caffeine-based beverage is being targeted at children. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“I write to specifically urge your agency to investigate Prime for its claims, marketing and caffeine content,” wrote Schumer, in his letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf.
Paul and KSI began promoting Prime energy drinks in 2022, and the pair’s large social media following ensured the drink’s viral success.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 31: Logan Paul and KSI pose with Prime hydration bottles prior to a regular season game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers on March 31, 2023, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Prime Energy, which carries a warning label advising against consumption for under-18s, has 200mg of caffeine per 12 ounces.
Reports in the corporate mainstream media have zeroed in on the drink’s high caffeine, with CBS, CNBC, the New York Times, and NPR all repeating different versions of the same argument: that Prime Energy contains more caffeine than two cans of Red Bull or six cans of Coca-Cola.
Comparatively few media outlets have pointed out that there are plenty of other drinks with equal or higher levels of caffeine that Schumer has not singled out.
Celsius has 200mg of caffeine per 12 ounce can, the same as Prime. So does Ghost, a popular pre-workout drink, and Alani. Bang, another energy drink, has 300mg of caffeine per 16 oz can.
And then there’s Starbucks, a beloved institution among Schumer’s leftist base: according to Reason, a venti-size cup at the nation’s largest coffee chain contains 400mg of caffeine, twice that of Prime.
Schumer’s motivations for singling out Paul and KSI’s energy drink remain a mystery.
It’s the latest sign that the Democrat majority leader is no friend to the creator economy, an ecosystem that is still largely decentralized and has disrupted the Democrat-dominated corporate legacy media.
Last year, he backed the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), a bill that would have officially sanctioned collusion between the legacy media and big tech, elevating the former over their independent competitors with court-enforced financial handouts and favoritism. And now, he’s going after two of YouTube’s biggest creators.
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election. Follow him on Twitter @AllumBokhari.