President Donald Trump had a lighthearted but pointed reaction after learning that actress Sydney Sweeney — at the center of a culture war firestorm over her American Eagle denim campaign — is a registered Republican.
Speaking to the Daily Mail after landing in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the president responded with enthusiasm:
“She’s a registered Republican? Oh, now I love her ad,” Trump said.
“You’d be surprised at how many people are Republican. That’s one I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”
🚨 LMAO! A reporter just asked Trump about Sydney Sweeney…his reaction is PRICELESS.
REPORTER: What do you think about her being a registered Republican?
TRUMP: “She’s a registered REPUBLICAN? Oh, now I LOVE her [American Eagle] ad. Sydney Sweeney? You’d be surprised at how… pic.twitter.com/XUB3U8wflL
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 4, 2025
Sweeney’s Registration Revealed
Public voter records confirmed that Sweeney registered with the Republican Party of Florida in Monroe County in June 2024. The news was first reported by Daily Mail and quickly went viral.
The timing coincides with growing backlash over her American Eagle jeans ad, which leftist critics have tried to frame as racist or eugenics-themed — a claim conservatives have widely dismissed as absurd and desperate.
The Ad That Set Off the Left
In the widely circulated ad, Sweeney narrates as a camera follows her putting on jeans:
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring… often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The actress then jokes:
“Hey, eyes up here,” as the camera cuts back to her face.
Despite the clear pun between “genes” and “jeans,” critics on the left accused the ad of promoting white supremacy, with Salon even claiming the ad reflected themes of eugenics and “celebrating whiteness.”
Conservatives Defend Sweeney — and the Ad
Rather than back down, American Eagle stood by Sweeney: “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.”
The backlash prompted a wave of conservative support:
Vice President JD Vance joked on The Ruthless Podcast: “My political advice to the Democrats is: continue to tell everybody who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive that they’re a Nazi. You have a normal, all-American beautiful girl doing a normal jeans ad… and they’ve completely unhinged themselves over it.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) posted: “Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I’m sure that will poll well…”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung added: “Cancel culture run amok… This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024.”
