A surprising incident unfolded when President Donald Trump praised a controversial jeans advertisement accused of racism, causing the jeans company’s stock to surge by 24%.
On Monday, shares of American Eagle Outfitters, the jeans company, skyrocketed 23.65% to 13.28 USD on the New York Stock Exchange.
Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that Registered Republican Sydney Sweeney has released the hottest ad.
He added that jeans are flying off the shelves and to head over to Sydney!
Recently, Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney (27) starred in a jeans advertisement.
American media outlets report that Sweeney’s advertisement for the U.S. clothing brand American Eagle employed a wordplay between Genes and Jeans, sparking controversy related to eugenics.
The ad features a narration stating that jeans are inherited from parents and they often determine hair color, personality, and even eye color, followed by Sweeney saying that her jeans are blue, seemingly emphasizing her identity as a white woman with blue eyes.
Following the ad’s release, internet users criticized it, arguing that a white woman emphasizing her blue eyes and blonde hair is a display of racial superiority. They questioned who inherits jeans these days, that they only inherit genes.
The controversy intensified when it was revealed that Sweeney is a registered Republican.
Amid this situation, President Trump further fueled the debate by expressing his approval of the advertisement. This unexpected endorsement thrust the company into the spotlight, resulting in a significant surge in its stock price.