A campaign group has said it will donate $1 million to a veteran's charity if President Donald Trump promises to go vegan for an entire month.
The Million Dollar Vegan group, working along with 9-year-old Evan LeFevre, president of charity Animal Hero Kids, said it will donate the money to a veterans charity of Trump's choice if he agrees to go on a plant-based diet for the entirety of January.
"We want to make America healthy again, and eating plant-based foods is a great place to start," LeFevre said in a video posted by a nonprofit organization. "Our veterans get one million dollars, and you get to eat great plant-based food. Mr. President, do we have a deal?"
The group said that Trump must agree to take part in the challenge before midnight on December 31
"Mr. President, not only will I be happy, and by the way, totally satisfied, but the American people will be happy. And you know what? Those charities will be very, very happy," the 9-year-old, who has more than 15,000 followers on his Veganevan Instagram account, added in a follow-up video.
LeFevre also took out a full-page advert in the New York Times to promote the $1 million offer. "Cardiovascular disease and stroke already create more than $329 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity, while the American Diabetes Association has estimated the total cost to the economy of diagnosed diabetes exceeded $327 billion in 2017 alone," he wrote.
The stunt has also received the backing of military veterans, such as former U.S. Marines Ronnie Penn and Marc Holley and Army veteran Thomas Chartier, who say their lives changed for the better after switching to a vegan diet.
Cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn added Trump could also benefit from changing to a plant-based lifestyle.
"The President is under significant daily stress and would benefit from this diet change," Khan said. "If he scheduled a visit to my preventive health clinic, I would review his diet, exercise, sleep and stress programs. I would advise him on increasing his intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains while decreasing his intake of foods rich in added sugars and saturated fats."
This is not the first time that Million Dollar Vegan has offered such a deal. Earlier this year, the group and 12-year-old activist Genesis Butler challenged Pope Francis to go vegan for Lent in exchange for a $1 million donation to charity.
"I have been an activist since I was 6, and I am constantly looking for ways to reach more people and promote veganism worldwide," Genesis previously told Newsweek.
"I want to be president when I grow up," she added. "And in the meantime, I want to continue my activism and inspire as much change as possible."
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Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
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