American Eagle Stock Soars After Trump Praises Sydney Sweeney Ad Campaign

Name: American Eagle Stock Soars After Trump Praises Sydney Sweeney Ad Campaign
Uploaded: 2025-08-05T08:57:44.000Z
Description: 'She's a registered Republican?' Trump asked, appearing surprised. 'Oh. Now I love her ad!'

'She's a registered Republican?' Trump asked, appearing surprised. 'Oh. Now I love her ad!'

Rudy Blalock

Published: 8/4/2025, 11:32:31 PM EDT

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. shares surged more than 23 percent Monday after President Donald Trump praised the retailer's advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney, contrasting it with what he called failed "woke" marketing strategies by other major brands.

Trump lauded the campaign after learning that Sweeney had reportedly registered as a Republican voter. Speaking to reporters in Pennsylvania over the weekend and later posting on his Truth Social platform Monday, Trump said he was surprised by the news before offering his endorsement.

"She's a registered Republican?" Trump asked, appearing surprised. "Oh. Now I love her ad! Is that right? Sydney Sweeney. … You'd be surprised how many people are Republicans. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic."

According to The Guardian, public records show Sweeney registered with the Republican Party in Florida in June 2023, though the actress has not publicly confirmed the registration.

In his Truth Social post Monday, Trump wrote that Sweeney, "a registered Republican, has the 'HOTTEST' ad out there. It's for American Eagle, and the jeans are 'flying off the shelves.' Go get 'em Sydney!"

The advertising campaign began July 23 under the slogan "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," but sparked debate regarding its approach to beauty standards and perceived racial implications. A teaser video that employed wordplay between "genes" and "jeans" drew criticism, with some characterizing the content as having racial insensitivity or eugenic references.

American Eagle defended the campaign in an Instagram post Aug. 2, stating: "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans is and always was about the jeans. 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.”

The company's marketing chief had previously described the campaign as intended to be "clever, even provocative" and designed to "push buttons.”

A digital advertising display featuring actress Sydney Sweeney outside an American Eagle store in Times Square in New York City on Aug. 4, 2025. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images) — A digital advertising display featuring actress Sydney Sweeney outside an American Eagle store in Times Square in New York City on Aug. 4, 2025. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Trump used his Truth Social post to criticize other brands' marketing approaches, particularly targeting luxury automaker Jaguar and beer brand Bud Light.

"On the other side of the ledger, Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE advertisement, THAT IS A TOTAL DISASTER! The CEO just resigned in disgrace, and the company is in absolute turmoil,” he wrote.

Trump referenced Bud Light's controversial 2023 partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, writing that the brand "went Woke and essentially destroyed, in a short campaign, the Company. The market cap destruction has been unprecedented, with BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SO FOOLISHLY LOST."

Jaguar unveiled a rebranding campaign in November 2024 featuring bold colors and abstract slogans like "create exuberant" and "delete ordinary." The automaker described the campaign as embodying "exuberant modernism" and signaling its transition to a fully electric luxury lineup.

Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the American Eagle controversy during an appearance on the "Ruthless" podcast, suggesting critics were overreacting. Vance said Democrats risk alienating voters by attacking what he described as "a normal all-American beautiful girl doing a normal jeans ad."

Despite Monday's surge, American Eagle stock remains down 22 percent compared to the previous year, and the company has underperformed in 2025. The retailer's first-quarter results missed expectations, with the company losing $85 million during the three months ending in May, while sales fell 3 percent.

Chief Financial Officer Michael Mathias told investors during a May earnings call that tariffs would cost the company $40 million as it works to mitigate impacts.