The American Eagle ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney, launched in July 2025 with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” has ignited a fierce controversy due to its playful pun on “genes” and “jeans.”
Some on the left have accused the ad of promoting Nazism, pointing to the tagline and Sweeney’s blonde, blue-eyed appearance as echoing eugenics and white supremacist ideals, with critics on TikTok and Threads labeling it “Nazi propaganda.” The ad includes Sweeney saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color,” which has fueled claims of racial undertones tied to historical eugenics movements. The backlash intensified as the ad’s focus on Sweeney’s physique was seen by some as catering to regressive beauty standards, amplifying the outrage.
President Trump responded to the controversy, calling the criticism “absurd” and praising Sweeney after learning she is a registered Republican. Trump also stated, “If Sydney Sweeney is a Republican, I love her—her ad is fantastic, a win for real Americans.” White House communications manager Steven Cheung echoed this, dismissing the backlash as “cancel culture run amok” and linking it to his 2024 election win. Supporters argue the ad is a harmless marketing ploy that boosted American Eagle’s stock by 10%, while detractors see it as a tone-deaf misstep in a polarized cultural climate.
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WATCH: Trump praises Sydney Sweeney after learning she’s a registered Republican
NO BACKING DOWN: American Eagle issues response to viral ad that has the Left angry
NOT PUNNY: American Eagle ad slammed as ‘Nazi propaganda’ by crazed woke mob
