Former President Donald Trump is facing backlash from conservatives over his defense of Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, which sparked outrage last year for an ad featuring a transgender influencer.
Trump, the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary, took to Truth Social to offer a defense of Anheuser-Busch Tuesday afternoon. He said that while the advertisement featuring Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender woman known for her posts on TikTok, was a "mistake of epic proportions," he argued Anheuser-Busch is "not a Woke company."
"On the other hand, Anheuser-Busch spends $700 Million a year with our GREAT Farmers, employ 65 thousand Americans, of which 1,500 are Veterans, and is a Founding Corporate Partner of Folds of Honor, which provides Scholarships for families of fallen Servicemen & Women. They've raised over $30,000,000 and given 44,000 Scholarships," he wrote.
Trump argued that Anheuser-Busch is a "Great American Brand" and suggested conservatives give it a "second chance" and instead go after companies he believes are "looking to DESTROY AMERIC!A!"
However, his post was met with a chilly reception from conservatives, who organized widespread boycotts of Anheuser-Busch after the Mulvaney partnership last March. The company gifted Mulvaney personalized, not-for-sale cans of beer with her face on them to commemorate 365 days of her living as a woman, prompting protests that had financial ramifications for the company.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email.
"I said I was gonna keep my mouth shut but he makes it SO DIFFICULT. And yes, Bud Light is still served at all of his establishments. Why is he this way," Jaimee Michell, the founder of the organization "Gays Against Groomers," wrote in a post to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh described Trump's remarks as "absolute madness."
"Trump gave no strategic reason why abandoning this one single effective boycott effort would be a good idea. Apparently we should back off because it would be the nice thing to do and it's very important to be nice to foreign conglomerates who push transgenderism," he wrote.
"Trump is defending Anheuser-Busch/Bud Light and trying to undermine the most effective boycott of a company for pushing transgenderism. Remember that Team Trump initially tried to stop this boycott but failed. Now they're at it again, likely due to some financial arrangement," posted Pedro Gonzalez, a columnist for the conservative magazine Chronicles.
Caitlyn Jenner, a former Olympian who is transgender and ran as a Republican in California's 2021 gubernatorial recall election, praised Trump's stance on the issue.
"As someone that worked for this incredible American company, and got to know them very well, I raced for @AnheuserBusch in the 80's I agree with @realDonaldTrump," Jenner wrote.
Politico reported that Trump's post comes as a Republican lobbyist for the company is scheduled to host a fundraiser for the former president in March. Trump has been quieter than many conservatives on the Bud Light boycotts and has continued selling the beer at his hotels.
In May 2023, Trump offered some praise for the boycotts, though, writing in a Truth Social post, "Money does talk—Anheuser-Busch now understands that."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
