Donald Trump has weighed in on the viral controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans marketing campaign, adding a fresh twist to the already heated debate. On Sunday, while fielding questions from reporters in Pennsylvania, the President was prompted to comment on unverified reports — denied by the 'Euphoria' star herself — that she had registered as a Republican last year. Citing public records, 'The Guardian' had reported over the weekend that Sweeney had registered with the GOP in Florida back in June of the previous year, mere months before Trump's re-election.
"She's a registered Republican?!" Trump exclaimed, feigning shock (video evidence available below). "Oh, well now I love her ad! Is that right? Sydney Sweeney… You'd be amazed at how many people are Republicans. If Sydney Sweeney is indeed a registered Republican, I think her ad is absolutely fantastic."
On Monday, Trump further elaborated on Truth Social, praising, "Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, for having the 'HOTTEST' ad around. It's for American Eagle, and those jeans are reportedly 'flying off the shelves.' Go get 'em, Sydney!" He then lambasted Jaguar for "a stupid, seriously woke advertisement" and took aim at "woke singer Taylor Swift… She was booed out of the Super Bowl and is no longer hot." The President concluded by asserting, "The tide has seriously turned — Being woke is for losers; being Republican is what you want to be."
Trump's remarks, arriving just as the furor over the jeans campaign seemed to be waning, infused the issue with a new, overtly political dimension, potentially co-opting the star's brand by right-wing leaders. This development comes on the heels of American Eagle breaking its silence regarding the backlash against such ads with a statement that stood by its campaign while rejecting the protest narrative that it was racist for featuring a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Sweeney and making a play on words about having good genes/jeans.
"Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans was and remains all about the jeans," AE posted on Instagram on Friday. "Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, in their own unique way. Great jeans look good on everyone."
Since announcing its partnership with Sweeney, AE's stock price has ticked upwards. Depending on one's perspective (and with sales figures — despite Trump's assertion that the jeans are "flying off the shelves" — still undisclosed), the campaign has either been a resounding success or a public relations disaster. Sweeney's other recent brand collaborations include Armani Beauty, Miu Miu, Laneige, HeyDude, Bai, Baskin Robbins, and Ford.
Last week, Vance weighed in on the controversy, attempting to tie the backlash to Democratic leaders — despite their reported silence on the matter. "My political advice to the Democrats is to continue telling everyone who finds Sydney Sweeney attractive that they're a Nazi," Vance stated on the 'Ruthless' podcast. "That seems to be their actual strategy. It reveals something quite telling about the Dems, though. Here you have a normal, all-American beautiful girl doing a standard jeans ad, trying to sell jeans to American kids, and they've managed to lose their minds over this. Come on, folks, did you learn nothing from the November 2024 election?"
Sweeney has remained silent amidst the uproar. She will next star in the crime thriller 'Americana,' releasing this month, and in December's highly anticipated adaptation of Freida McFadden's bestseller, 'The Housemaid.'
