American Eagle released the advertising campaign with Sweeney on 23 July.
The slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” appeared on television, social media and on the outside of storefronts.
Almost instantly, it received pushback from some on social media.
They criticised the advert’s genes pun – including one line which said the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress “has great jeans” – as echoing rhetoric associated with eugenics, the discredited belief that humanity could be improved through selective breeding.
Others, however, backed Sweeney and described the outrage as overblown.
Reports later surfaced that Sweeney is a registered Republican in Florida. Shortly after, Trump made comments about the row and expressed his support for the actress, whom he described as a “registered Republican”.
Sweeney, meanwhile, has not commented on the backlash or confirmed her political affiliation.