Former President Donald Trump is begging his supporters to end their boycott of Bud Light after the beer maker stirred outrage last year for sponsoring transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
In a lengthy post to Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump pushed back on the claim that Anheuser-Busch, the company that produces Bud Light, was guided by “Woke” politics.
“The Bud Light ad was a mistake of epic proportions, and for that a very big price was paid, but Anheuser-Busch is not a Woke company, but I can give you plenty that are, am building a list, and might just release it for the World to see.”
Trump went on to praise Anheuser-Busch for spending “$700 Million a year with our Great Farmers” while employing 65,000 Americans, 1,500 of which are military veterans. The former president also highlighted the company’s program to provide scholarships for the families of fallen service members.
“Anheuser-Busch is a Great American Brand that perhaps deserves a Second Chance?” Trump added. “What do you think? Perhaps, instead, we should be going after those companies that are looking to DESTROY AMERICA!”
Anheuser-Busch came under fire for partnering with Mulvaney, offering her a commemorative can, sparking an outsized backlash that has lasted nearly a year. However, Anheuser-Busch is also a huge donor to Republican causes, and as the 2024 campaign ramps up, Trump might be trying to appease the company to keep the coffers full.
Yet conservatives appear to be unconvinced. In response to the post, users on Truth Social argued that the company had still not done enough to redeem their trust among conservatives.
“They never apologized sir,” the user Pepe Deluxe said. “They aren’t on our side. They found out. Sorry… it’s a no from me sir.”
Others similarly stated that they would continue to boycott Bud Light until an apology was made.
“My company won’t be selling it in the coolers yet until a full apology has been accepted by the Americans that my Business caters to,” another wrote. “My customers asked for the removal of the products they produced so we did that and my sales increased significantly with other products.”
“Sorry President Trump, I can not in good biblical faith support any company that pushes a transgender and a homosexual agenda on our children. They FAFO. They are done in our circle,” added another.
The reaction on X was much of the same, where conservatives took the rare step of disagreeing with Trump.
The right-wing user known as TheQuartering suggested that Trump’s stance was influenced solely by his need for political donations.
“Just another sign Trump surrounds himself with morons who can’t read the room. Sorry, the Bud Light boycott will continue until they officially apologize,” the user wrote. “I don’t care how much they donate to your campaign.”
Some even pointed to the fact that Trump is said to own up to $5 million in stock from Anheuser-Busch. Not only that, Politico reports that Trump’s remarks came on the eve of a fundraiser with an Anheuser-Busch lobbyist.
One right-winger called Trump’s plea “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for the sake of rescuing a foreign corporation from the consequences of its own actions.”
At least one Trump supporter, however, appeared to agree with the former president. In a post on X, Caitlyn Jenner described the company as “incredible” and worthy of forgiveness.
“As someone that worked for this incredible American company, and got to know them very well, I raced for @AnheuserBusch in the 80’s,” Jenner wrote. “I agree with @realDonaldTrump.”
Jenner, a transgender conservative, was immediately bombarded with outraged responses as a result.
“Fair enough, Bruce,” one user said, referring to Jenner’s previous name. “I may have a Budweiser again if it is the last one in the cooler. You however are not the guy to make the case for them.”
Trump is not the first high-profile figure to attempt to turn the tide for Bud Light. Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has defended the beer company in numerous interviews over the past year.
Similarly, musician Kid Rock, who shot several cases of the beer with a rifle at the beginning of the boycott, has reversed his stance as well.
Yet the fact that not even Trump can convince conservatives to reverse the boycott suggests that Bud Light’s problems will likely continue.
