Donald Trump Jr. recently urged conservatives to end their boycott of Bud Light and its parent company Anheuser-Busch over the brand’s collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
“So here’s the deal. Anheuser-Busch totally sh** the bed with this Dylan Mulvaney thing. I’m not, though, for destroying an American, an iconic company for something like this,” he said on his podcast, Triggered, on Thursday.
“When I actually look into it, I’m not gonna blame the whole company for the inaction or the stupidity of someone in a marketing campaign that got woke as hell,” Trump added.
He defended Anheuser-Busch, saying it has historically donated more to conservative politicians than left-leaning politicians.
“We looked into the political giving and lobbying history of Anheuser-Busch and guess what? They actually support Republicans,” he said.
“Last cycle their employees and their PAC gave about 60 percent to Republicans and 40 percent to Democrats,” Trump added. “That’s literally almost unheard of in corporate America, where it’s really easy to go woke, where they do so constantly, where there’s a consequence to actually being a conservative. So 60/40 to the conservative side is kind of a big deal.”
He concluded in saying that the company “doesn’t participate in the same leftist nonsense as the other big conglomerates.”
The backlash began when Mulvaney posted a video from a bathtub, surrounded by cans of the beer. The brand had sent Mulvaney a personalized Bud Light can to mark the celebration of the influencer’s first anniversary of beginning the transition from male to female. Anheuser-Busch initially defended it as just another brand deal.
“Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics. From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public,” an AB spokesperson told Fox News at the time.
Many consumers were further disappointed upon the discovery that Bud Light’s marketing vice president, Alissa Heinerscheid, had made comments claiming she was tasked with reinventing Bud Light to move away from its “fratty” roots and “out of touch” humor.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth finally responded to the growing backlash in a statement on Friday, more than one week into the controversy, that seemingly failed to please either side of the ongoing debate.
“We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer,” Whitworth said. “My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another.”
He added, “As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.”