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 .”

American Eagle’s new denim campaign featuring actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked backlash over a “genes" pun. Here’s what’s behind the controversy—and why it’s drawing so much attention.

Reacting to the backlash, White House communications manager Steven Cheung wrote, “Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They’re tired of this bulls***.”