Sydney Sweeney registered as a Republican voter in Florida in June 2024, just months before Donald Trump won the US presidency, according to public records reviewed by the Guardian. The registration came to light as the actress faces controversy over a new American Eagle jeans ad campaign that uses a pun about her genes.
The 'Euphoria' and 'White Lotus' star, 27, listed her party affiliation as Republican when she registered to vote in Florida on 14 June 2024, shortly after purchasing a mansion in the Florida Keys. This was about two weeks after Trump, also a registered Republican Florida voter, was convicted in New York for falsifying business records.
Sweeney previously faced criticism in 2022 after being photographed at her mother's birthday party where some guests wore hats resembling Trump's 'Make America Great Again' merchandise. She then issued a statement asking the public to 'stop making assumptions' about the innocent celebration.
The American Eagle ad campaign, which features Sweeney modeling denim and playing on the phrase 'great genes,' has drawn backlash from some social media users who accused it of echoing eugenics rhetoric. One TikTok video accused Sweeney of ignoring the political climate, calling it 'Nazi propaganda'.
However, conservatives have rallied to Sweeney's defence. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung described the criticism as 'cancel culture run amok', and Trump himself said upon learning of her Republican registration: 'Ooh, now I love her ad.' American Eagle's stock has reportedly risen since the campaign launched, and the company defended it as 'about the jeans'.
The controversy contrasts with the 2023 Bud Light ad featuring trans activist Dylan Mulvaney, which led to a conservative boycott and significant sales decline. A social media post from Wu Tang is for the Children noted: 'No one was trying to cancel Sydney Sweeney. And no one cares if she's Republican or not.'
