Trump praises Sydney Sweeney amid backlash over American Eagle jeans ad

United State President, Donald Trump, has come to the defense of Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney following widespread criticism of her recent American Eagle jeans campaign, which many have described as “hypersexualised and suggestive”.

Trump took to his social media platform on Monday, August 4, to show support for the Euphoria star, saying, “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there. Go get ’em Sydney.”

He added, “Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be,” in a post that was initially deleted due to a misspelling of the actress’s name.

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Sweeney, who has not publicly commented on her political views or voter registration, was reported over the weekend to be registered as a Republican in Monroe County, Florida, where she allegedly bought a mansion in 2024.

ABC News confirmed through publicly available voter records that a “Sydney B. Sweeney” in Summerland Key, Florida, is registered with the Republican Party and shares the same birthdate as the actress.

In a brief chat with reporters, Trump responded to a question about Sweeney’s rumored affiliation, saying, “Ohhhhh, now I love her ad. Is that right, is Sydney Sweeney? You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans. If that’s true, I think her ad is fantastic.”

The actress recently sparked online debate with her “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign for American Eagle, a wordplay on “genes” and “jeans” that some critics say promotes eugenics and objectifies the female body.

In one of the campaign’s video ads, Sweeney is seen stating, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring… My jeans are blue,” as the camera pans up to her face.

Another ad posted on social media shows her wiping a picture of herself alongside the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes,” with “genes” crossed out and replaced with “jeans.”

Critics have likened the ad to Brooke Shields’ controversial 1980 Calvin Klein commercial, which was widely criticized for sexualizing the then-15-year-old actress.

While Sweeney has stayed silent amid the backlash, American Eagle released a statement reaffirming its stance on the campaign.

“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story,” the brand posted on social media.

“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

As the debate continues, the 27-year-old actress remains in the spotlight not just for her fashion choices, but now also for her alleged political identity.