Topline<\/p>\n
American Eagle stock skyrocketed Monday after President Donald Trump praised actress Sydney Sweeney for having the \u201cHOTTEST ad out there\u201d amid a firestorm of controversy over an advertisement critics have accused of promoting eugenics, which some conservatives have instead hailed as a rebuke of \u201cwokeness.\u201d <\/p>\n
President Donald Trump praised actress Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle ad in a post on Monday. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI \/ AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
AFP via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
American Eagle\u2019s stock price was up nearly 23% as of 3 p.m. EDT on Monday, a steep increase that started hours earlier, after Trump made a post on Truth Social praising a divisive commercial starring Sweeney the company debuted last week.<\/p>\n
Earlier Monday, Trump praised<\/a> Sweeney\u2019s controversial marketing stint: \u201cIt\u2019s for American Eagle, and the jeans are \u2018flying off the shelves.\u2019 Go get \u2018em Sydney!\u201d<\/p>\n Trump hailed Sweeney\u2019s apparent voter registration after multiple<\/a> reports<\/a> over the weekend indicated she is registered as a Republican voter in Florida.<\/p>\n Trump compared Sweeney unfavorably to \u201cWoke singer Taylor Swift,\u201d whom he previously said he \u201chates\u201d after the singer endorsed his election opponent Vice President Kamala Harris in October, calling her \u201cNO LONGER HOT.\u201d<\/p>\n In his post Monday, Trump cited the recent resignation<\/a> of Jaguar CEO Adrian Mardell, who stepped down months after the British luxury vehicle company drew \u201cwoke\u201d allegations for a colorful and diverse rebrand<\/a>, though the company said his resignation was unrelated to the controversy and had been planned.<\/p>\n Trump said Jaguar should have learned from Bud Light, referencing the conservative-led boycotts against the beer company after it sent transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney a customized beer can with her face on it in 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cThe tide has seriously turned \u2014 Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be. Thank you for your attention to this matter!\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n Why Did Sweeney\u2019s American Eagle Ad Spark Controversy?<\/p>\n In a marketing video for American Eagle, Sweeney dons a pair of the brand\u2019s jeans and a denim jacket and makes a pun on the words \u201cjeans\u201d and \u201cgenes.\u201d \u201cGenes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue,\u201d Sweeney says, as the camera pans up to her face and reveals her blue eyes. The ad triggered backlash from critics on social media who felt the ad comes close to promoting eugenics, implying Sweeney\u2019s blonde-haired, blue-eyed genes are more desirable than other traits. Shalini Shankar, a Northwestern University anthropology professor who studies youth and advertising, told CNN<\/a> she believes American Eagle was \u201caligning themselves with a white nationalist, MAGA-friendly identity,\u201d stating the company is \u201ctrying to rebrand themselves for the present moment, and language is very deliberately used here.\u201d<\/p>\n How Have Sweeney And American Eagle Responded To The Controversy?<\/p>\n Sweeney has not yet publicly addressed the controversy over her American Eagle ad. The company posted a statement<\/a> over the weekend defending its marketing campaign: \u201c\u2018Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans\u2019 is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We\u2019ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Who Else Has Backed Sweeney Amid The American Eagle Controversy?<\/p>\n A handful of high-profile Republicans have championed Sweeney\u2019s ad as a rebuke to \u201cwoke\u201d culture, including Vice President JD Vance, who backed the actress in an appearance on the conservative \u201cRuthless\u201d podcast over the weekend. \u201cMy political advice to the Democrats is, continue to tell everybody who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive is a Nazi,\u201d Vance said<\/a>. In a post on X last week, Sen. Ted Cruz<\/a> (R-Texas) wrote: \u201cWow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I\u2019m sure that will poll well\u2026.\u201d White House communications director Steven Cheung<\/a> slammed the backlash in a post on X last week, calling it \u201ccancel culture run amok\u201d and \u201cwarped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n Tangent<\/p>\n Sweeney, who is best known for her roles in the HBO series \u201cEuphoria\u201d and \u201cThe White Lotus,\u201d attended a screening of her upcoming film \u201cAmericana\u201d on Sunday night in Los Angeles. TMZ published<\/a> footage of a heckler calling Sweeney\u2019s ad \u201cracist\u201d as she arrived at the event.<\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n What has America learned from the Sydney Sweeney situation? We asked the experts<\/a> (CNN)<\/p>\n