The internet is utterly appalled after the White House fiercely defended Sydney Sweeney’s new controversial American Eagle ad.
White House communications director Steven Cheung weighed in on the actor’s new campaign for the clothing brand Tuesday on X, sparking a wave of backlash from social media users.
“Cancel culture run amok,” Cheung wrote alongside a screenshot of an MSNBC op-ed titled “Sydney Sweeney’s ad shows an unbridled cultural shift toward whiteness.”
Cheung added: “This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They’re tired of this bullshit.”
X users wasted no time slamming Cheung and the Trump administration over the post.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Notable figures like Doja Cat have also mocked Sweeney’s ad.
In the ad in question, which has been getting crucified across the internet since last week, Sweeney, who has blue eyes and blonde hair, is seen lying back on a couch while fastening her pants.
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color… my jeans are blue,” the actor says in the footage.
Then a male narrator adds: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
The ad’s double entendre has been criticized after some accused the messaging of glorifying whiteness. Some also attributed it to eugenics, the racist and inaccurate theory that human genetics can be improved through selective and controlled breeding of populations.
Others argued that the ad was insensitive, considering the country’s current political climate amid Trump’s detrimental abolishment of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and other efforts that directly negatively impact the most marginalized communities.
The backlash resulted in American Eagle removing several of Sweeney’s campaign videos from its official social media accounts.
Sweeney, who has remained private about her political standing, has not publicly addressed the criticisms over the AE ad.
In 2022, the “Euphoria” star faced scrutiny after photos surfaced of guests wearing MAGA-style hats at a 60th birthday party for her mom.