President Donald Trump has ignited a firestorm of debate by throwing his support behind a bold American Eagle advertisement featuring actress Sydney Sweeney.
Breitbart reported that Trump’s enthusiastic endorsement of the ad, coupled with sharp criticism of progressive backlash and other corporate missteps, has once again placed cultural divides front and center in the national conversation.
Let’s start with the spark that lit this fuse: American Eagle’s latest campaign starring Sydney Sweeney, a talented actress who happens to be a registered Republican.
The ad, built around a clever wordplay of “jeans” and “genes,” carries the tagline about Sweeney having “great jeans.” It’s a playful pun, but not everyone saw the humor.
Critics on the left quickly pounced, branding the advertisement as controversial and even alleging it promotes dangerous ideologies through the “genes” reference.
Some outlets, like MSNBC, went so far as to call it a cultural pivot toward “whiteness,” pointing to Sweeney’s classic blonde image as somehow problematic. Talk about reaching for a narrative—can’t a clothing ad just be about selling denim?
Trump, never one to shy away from a cultural skirmish, jumped into the fray with high praise for both Sweeney and American Eagle.
“Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there,” he declared, noting that the jeans are practically leaping off store shelves. That’s a win for clever marketing, no matter how you slice it.
But Trump didn’t stop at compliments; he used the moment to underscore a broader point about cultural trends. “Being WOKE is for losers,” he stated bluntly, framing the progressive meltdown over the ad as yet another example of overreach. It’s a jab that lands with a smirk—why turn a simple ad into a political battlefield?
Turning his attention to other companies, Trump contrasted American Eagle’s success with what he sees as self-inflicted wounds by brands like Jaguar.
He slammed their recent campaign as “stupid” and overly progressive, calling it a fiasco. With Jaguar’s CEO stepping down amid the fallout and the company in chaos, Trump’s critique carries some weight.
How did Jaguar miss the memo after watching other brands stumble, Trump wondered aloud. He pointed to Bud Light’s infamous campaign, which he claims tanked the company’s value by billions in a matter of weeks. It’s a cautionary tale for corporations dabbling in divisive messaging—stick to selling your product.
“Shouldn’t they have learned a lesson from Bud Lite, which went Woke and essentially destroyed, in a short campaign, the Company,” Trump remarked. That’s a hard lesson in market cap destruction, and he’s not wrong to question why others keep repeating the mistake. Sometimes, neutrality is the smartest business strategy.
Trump also took a detour to swipe at pop icon Taylor Swift, suggesting her star has dimmed since he publicly criticized her. Claiming she was “booed out of the Super Bowl” after his remarks, he painted her as a fading figure in the cultural landscape. It’s a bold assertion, though perhaps more about scoring points than reflecting reality.
Circling back to Sweeney, Trump revealed that learning of her Republican affiliation only deepened his appreciation for the American Eagle spot.
“If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic,” he said with a nod of approval. It’s a reminder that political loyalties often color how we view even the most mundane things—like a pair of jeans.
The actress herself seemed unfazed by the controversy, leaning into the ad’s humor with a quip of her own. “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue,” Sweeney said, keeping the tone light amid the storm.
Trump wrapped up his commentary with a rallying cry for his base, asserting that the cultural tide is shifting away from progressive ideals. “Being Republican is what you want to be,” he urged, positioning his worldview as the winning side in this ongoing debate.
What’s clear from this episode is that even a simple clothing advertisement can become a lightning rod in today’s polarized climate.
American Eagle’s campaign with Sydney Sweeney, boosted by Trump’s vocal support, has exposed yet another fault line in how we interpret media and messaging. Maybe it’s time we all take a step back and just appreciate a good pair of jeans for what they are.