Former President Donald Trump has publicly praised actress Sydney Sweeney amid a social media controversy surrounding her appearance in a recent advertisement.
In a post on Truth Social Monday, Trump wrote, “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there. Go get ’em Sydney!”
The Emmy-nominated actress, known for her roles in *Euphoria* and *The White Lotus*, stars in an American Eagle jeans commercial, where she states, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
The 27-year-old actress’s wordplay in the commercial has drawn criticism, sparking debate about race and beauty standards.
American Eagle has defended the advertisement, asserting that it solely references the company’s denim jeans.
The advertising campaign featuring Sweeney launched on July 23.
The slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” was prominently displayed on television, social media, and storefronts.
The campaign quickly faced pushback from some social media users.
Critics argued that the advertisement’s “genes” pun, particularly the line stating the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress “has great jeans,” echoed rhetoric associated with eugenics, the discredited belief in improving humanity through selective breeding.
Conversely, others defended Sweeney and deemed the outrage excessive.
Reports subsequently emerged identifying Sweeney as a registered Republican in Florida. Following this, Trump commented on the controversy, expressing his support for the actress and highlighting her Republican affiliation.
Sweeney has not publicly addressed the backlash or confirmed her political registration.
American Eagle maintained that the campaign “is and always was about the jeans.”
“Her jeans. Her story,” the company stated. “We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.”
Since Trump’s remarks on Monday, the company’s stock experienced a surge, increasing by as much as 20%.
Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce, stated that American Eagle “nailed” the ad.
“It is exponentially harder than it was years ago,” he told the BBC. “Success in marketing today is to get consumers sharing [advertisements] on social.”
He added that advertisements must be “extraordinary” to encourage sharing, “whether that’s extraordinarily good or extraordinarily bad.”
He further suggested that the social media buzz generated by the advertisement is worth 10 or 20 times the cost of its production.
Records indicate Sweeney has been registered as a Republican in Florida since 2024.
She has largely refrained from commenting on political matters.
In 2023, Sweeney faced media attention when videos and images from her mother’s birthday party circulated online, showing attendees wearing “Make America Great Again” hats.
Sweeney responded, urging people to “stop making assumptions” and refrain from turning the “innocent celebration” into an “absurd political statement.”
When questioned about the incident months later in an interview with GQ, she stated, “Honestly, I feel like nothing I say can help the conversation.”
“It’s been turning into a wildfire, and nothing I can say will take it back to the correct track,” she added.
On Sunday, reporters traveling with the former president questioned him about Sweeney.
“You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans,” Trump said after a reporter stated that the *White Lotus* star is a registered Republican.
“That’s what I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic,” Trump said on Sunday.
Prior to Trump’s comments, the controversy had been a focus of conservative media, with some suggesting the advertisement was not only beneficial for American Eagle but also for the Republican Party.
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