Sydney Sweeney’s latest campaign for American Eagle jeans has unexpectedly received backing from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The 27-year-old actress was chosen for American Eagle’s fall 2025 denim catalogue, which sparked significant debate online.
According to American Eagle, the campaign’s objective was to ‘further elevate its position as the #1 jeans brand for Gen Z.’ However, both the brand and Sweeney have faced criticism on social media due to perceptions that the campaign highlighted the Euphoria star’s whiteness too prominently.
The advertisement featured Sweeney in a fully denim ensemble, as she discussed the basics of genetics, with the tagline: “Sydney Sweeney has great genes.”
In the ad, the word ‘Genes’ is crossed out and replaced with ‘jeans.’
This prompted immediate backlash.
Viewers of the ad took to social media to express their opinions, accusing it of being steeped in white supremacy.
“This is what happens when you have no people of color in a room. Particularly in a time like this,” one Instagram comment stated. “This ad campaign got so caught up in this ‘clever’ play on words and this stunt the people in the room missed what was so blatantly obvious to anyone not White.”
Another individual commented: “It’s giving ‘Subtle 1930’s Germany’,” while a third humorously remarked: “Eujeanics.”
Nevertheless, not everyone shares this perspective, especially the President.
While speaking to the press on the runway in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 3, Trump was informed about a fact regarding the actress.
Earlier that day, The Guardian reported that Sweeney has been registered with the Republican Party in Florida since June 2024.
Although she has never openly expressed support or opinions about Trump, when informed of her political affiliation, Trump expressed his view on her advertisement.
“Is that right? Is Sydney Sweeney…,” Trump said. “You’d be surprised how many people are Republicans. 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,” the president added.
While the president endorses her, there are still many who believe the ad perpetuates eugenic concepts through its wordplay with ‘jeans’ and ‘genes.’
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” Sweeney stated in the ad.
“My jeans are blue,” she added, as the camera focused on her blue eyes.
In another segment, she discusses her body’s composition as ‘determined by… genes’.
The company, however, has clarified its intentions.
“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the company explained in a statement. “Her jeans. Her story.
“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.
“Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Trump encountered similar criticism in 2020 when, addressing a predominantly white audience in Minnesota, he remarked: “You have good genes, you know that, right?”
“You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn’t it, don’t you believe? The racehorse theory. You think we’re so different? You have good genes in Minnesota.”