Actor Sydney Sweeney recently faced backlash over her American Eagle ad campaign titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The campaign plays on the words “jeans” and “genes,” which some critics claim alludes to eugenics—a theory widely discredited as scientifically inaccurate and ethically dangerous.
According to former presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway—who gave us the term "alternative facts"—the campaign has sparked "panic on the left."
You can hear what Conway said in the video below.
However, the New York Times reported that right-wing media amplified the supposed left-wing "panic" surrounding Sweeney, noting that "nearly three-quarters of posts that were critical of Ms. Sweeney or the ad had fewer than 500 views."
Additionally, many of President Donald Trump's supporters "amplified the critical posts in reposts and reshares, driving even more attention to posts that would normally reach only a few thousand users."
Conway's remark caught the attention of Democratic Arizona Representative Yassamin Ansari, the youngest woman in Congress, who replied:
"Nobody on the left is 'panicking' about a Sydney Sweeney ad. Can assure you of that. We’re a little busy trying to stop the authoritarian takeover of our country."
You can see what she wrote below.
Many concurred, mocking Conway's coverage in response.
The far-right has latched onto Sweeney not just because of her ad campaign but because she is registered as a Republican voter in Monroe County, Florida, where she is said to have purchased a mansion in 2024. ABC News, citing public voting records, found that a “Sydney B. Sweeney” in Summerland Key—who shares the actress’s birthday—is registered as a Republican in the state.
Sweeney has not publicly addressed her voter registration but nonetheless received support from Trump, who praised her and told reporters that if Sweeney "is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic," adding that "you'd be surprised how many people are Republicans."
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