Overview
- Asked to respond to allegations that the American Eagle pun played on genetic superiority, Sweeney said, “I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.”
- British photographer Misan Harriman urged her to acknowledge harm and noted the campaign’s embrace by racist actors, while performers and users online split sharply in their reactions.
- Right-leaning outlets and MAGA-aligned accounts praised Sweeney’s refusal to apologize, calling her handling of the exchange a PR success.
- Sweeney called President Trump’s post about the ad on Truth Social “surreal” and said she largely ignored the online reaction while working.
- The late-July spot went viral for its “great jeans/genes” wordplay and drew accusations of eugenic undertones, and a White House communications official previously labeled the backlash an example of cancel culture.