President Donald Trump weighed in Friday on the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s recent American Eagle campaign—an ad that has sparked debate over Western beauty standards and racial undertones.
The 27-year-old White Lotus actress, known for her blonde hair and blue eyes, appeared in a denim-themed advertisement that drew both admiration and criticism. The tagline—“Sydney Sweeney has good jeans”—was interpreted by some as a nod to eugenics and whiteness, igniting backlash online.
During an appearance on Newsmax with host Rob Finnerty, Trump was asked about the ad and whether it sends a stronger message than previous campaigns—specifically referencing transgender actress Dylan Mulvaney. The question took a sharp turn into culture war territory, prompting a passionate response from Trump.
Finnerty pointed out that Trump’s administration frequently raised concerns about declining birth rates in America. He followed up with a pointed question: “There was an ad this week. Sydney Sweeney, an actress, was in an ad for Blue Jeans. The ad is doing very well. It’s very popular. The jeans are sold out,” he said. “Does America need to see more ads like that? And maybe fewer ads with people like Dylan Mulvaney on the cover?” according to Irish Star.
Although the link between Sweeney’s ad and declining birth rates was tenuous, the question appeared to reference the backlash to a 2023 Bud Light commercial featuring Mulvaney—an ad that led to a widespread boycott.
Trump didn’t hold back. He criticized the Bud Light campaign, calling it a marketing failure: “It knocked 35 million dollars off the value of a certain company. You know what I’m talking about. That was one of the great disasters of all time. I would say it was probably the most unsuccessful ad, worst ad ever.”
He also reflected on his own experiences with marketing: “I’ve done ads where I thought they were lousy and they turned out to be iconic, and then I’ve done some that I thought were beauties that were gonna be fantastic, and they weren’t so good,” he said. “So to each his own. But the Dylan Mulvaney ad was a total disaster.”
