President Donald Trump offered effusive praise for actress Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle jeans advertisement after learning the “Euphoria” star is a registered Republican voter, transforming a marketing controversy into a political talking point that sent the company’s stock soaring.
Trump first learned of Sweeney’s political affiliation Sunday evening when a reporter at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, informed him that the actress had registered as a Republican in Florida. His immediate response was enthusiastic approval of the advertisement that had sparked widespread criticism.
The president expressed surprise at the revelation, indicating he wouldn’t have known about her political leanings but was glad to learn this information. He declared that if Sweeney is indeed a registered Republican, he considers her advertisement fantastic. Trump noted that many people would be surprised by how many individuals are Republicans.
On Monday, August 4, Trump escalated his praise on his Truth Social platform, describing Sweeney as having the “HOTTEST ad out there.” He initially misspelled her first name as “Sidney” in his original post, which was later deleted and corrected.
The advertisement in question features Sweeney in American Eagle jeans with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The campaign plays on the wordplay between “jeans” and “genes,” with Sweeney explaining in the commercial how genes are passed down from parents to offspring, determining traits like hair color, personality and eye color, before concluding that her jeans are blue.
Critics have accused the advertisement of promoting eugenics and racial superiority themes, particularly given Sweeney’s blonde hair and blue eyes. Some commentators compared the campaign to actress Brooke Shields’ controversial 1980 Calvin Klein advertisement, which featured similar genetic messaging when Shields was 15 years old.
Public records obtained by ABC News confirmed that a Sydney B. Sweeney with the same birthday as the actress registered as a Republican in Monroe County, Florida, in June 2024, where she reportedly purchased a mansion.
Trump’s endorsement had immediate financial impact. According to CNBC reporting, American Eagle’s stock surged 15 percent following Trump’s Monday morning social media post praising the campaign.
The president expanded his commentary beyond Sweeney’s advertisement to criticize what he termed “woke” companies and celebrities. He targeted pop star Taylor Swift, claiming responsibility for her being booed at the Super Bowl and declaring she is no longer popular. Trump also criticized companies like Jaguar and Bud Light for their advertising campaigns, suggesting they suffered consequences for their messaging.
Trump concluded his social media posts by stating that being woke is for losers and that being Republican is preferable. He framed Sweeney’s advertisement as part of a broader cultural and political divide.
American Eagle responded to the initial backlash with a statement on social media, clarifying that the campaign is about jeans and celebrating how everyone wears their products with confidence. The company emphasized that great jeans look good on everyone.
Several Republican politicians had already defended Sweeney before Trump’s comments. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas shared images from the advertisement, criticizing those who opposed beautiful women. Vice President JD Vance described Sweeney as an all-American beautiful girl and suggested Democrats were calling anyone who finds her attractive a Nazi.
A YouGov poll of more than 3,500 U.S. adults found that 52 percent of respondents considered the advertisement’s wordplay appropriate, while 16 percent found it inappropriate. The remaining respondents were either unsure or indifferent about the campaign.
Sweeney has not publicly commented on her voter registration or the controversy surrounding the advertisement. She was spotted at the premiere of her new film “Americana” in Los Angeles, where she was reportedly heckled by someone calling the advertisement racist.
The controversy has reignited discussion about Sweeney’s political affiliations, following previous scrutiny in 2022 when photos from a birthday party she organized for her mother showed guests wearing items resembling political merchandise, though Sweeney later explained these were worn by her mother’s friends from Los Angeles as a joke.