For context, the tagline of the campaign is “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” and, as is explicitly pointed out, the whole thing is a play on Sydney’s “great genes.” Some people have taken issue with the glorification of Sydney’s genetics as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white woman, accusing AE of promoting eugenics and “ white supremacy .”

The internet is utterly appalled after the White House fiercely defended Sydney Sweeney’s new controversial American Eagle ad. White House communications director Steven Cheung weighed in on the actresses’ new campaign for the clothing brand Tuesday on X, sparking a wave of backlash from social media users.

Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle advertisement sparks controversy as critics claim it promotes "whiteness" while Trump officials defend against cancel culture accusations.