After discovering Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, Trump enthusiastically backs her controversial jeans ad as “fantastic”

4 August 2025

Sydney Sweeney, 27, has faced relentless backlash from lefty critics over her new American Eagle jeans ad. American Eagle

When former President Donald Trump learned on August 3 that Sydney Sweeney is officially registered as a Republican in Monroe County, Florida, he responded with enthusiastic praise for her new American Eagle jeans advertisement stating “if Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic”

Trump’s remarks came just hours after his arrival in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where a reporter relayed the revelation about the actress’s voter registration. Instantly he reversed his tone on the ad that had previously divided opinion, quipping “Oh, now I love her ad” and noting in surprise that he had not known her political leanings before.

The advertisement itself features Sweeney, clad in form-fitting denim, delivering a play on words between “genes” and “jeans” in a campaign deemed provocative by critics who accused the spot of referencing Western beauty norms and echoing eugenic tropes given her portrayal with blue jeans over blue-eyed blonde hair.

Left‑wing critics likened the ad’s simplicity and pun to “tone-deaf” branding at best and at worst to “Nazi propaganda” reinforcing genetic superiority ideals. The viral backlash grew as political pundits, journalists, and social media users took issue with the campaign’s punning structure and casting.

In her defense the company behind the ad issued a statement clarifying that its intent was purely aesthetic and fashion-forward, emphasizing that the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” was meant to celebrate the clothing and not any genetic metaphor.

Conservative commentators swiftly joined the conversation in support of Sweeney and the ad. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung characterized the backlash as “cancel culture run amok”. Vice President J.D. Vance said on the “Ruthless” podcast that critics have irrationally targeted “a pretty girl doing a jeans ad,” advising Democrats to reflect on the optics of their outrage. Texas Senator Ted Cruz weighed in by publicly mocking left‑wing reactions, framing the controversy as absurd.

Sweeney herself has not issued a public comment since the controversy erupted. As a star of HBO’s Euphoria and The White Lotus, she has a record of avoiding partisan signals in her public communications until now. The revelation of her voter registration emerged via public records and was first widely circulated by outlets such as BuzzFeed and The Guardian.

This episode underscores how celebrity identity, brand message and political affiliation intersect in the social media era. The timing of Trump’s praise highlights how partisan frames can rapidly sway public interpretation of advertising. The ad may have been designed as lightweight denim marketing, but it now reads as a symbolic offer to a base fatigued by liberal criticism and cultural gatekeeping.

From a brand standpoint, American Eagle insists the campaign celebrates individuality and confidence in denim. Still, the steering of the firestorm by conservative voices like Trump’s and the reverberations across social feeds show that brand signals especially in visual and punning form are heavily invested with cultural meaning.

Sweeney’s political affiliation complicates the narrative. Her registration in Florida dates to June 2024 but she has never publicized her voting record or endorsed any candidate. The sudden link between her ballot registration and a divisive ad spot blurs her once apolitical public persona.

Critics point out that the controversy reveals more about the current media environment than about Sweeney’s intent. A clean fashion campaign can spiral into accusations of moral insensitivity the moment it meets a skeptical filter. For brands, the lesson is clear: advertising no longer lives in isolation of politics or identity.

For her part Sweeney’s future trajectory matters. Her star power continues to rise through film and TV roles, but in this moment she finds herself defined in the eyes of the public by the political signal attached to her image. Whether she reasserts control through subsequent communication or retreats remains to be seen.

Ultimately this story serves as a case study in how celebrity culture, brand marketing and political identity are inseparable in the digital age. An actress’s voter registration, once obscure, has now reshaped public interpretation of her creative work and even swayed a former president to issue praise on her behalf