Conservatives appear to believe that the CEO of Anheuser-Busch was planted by the CIA in order to make the company go “woke.”
Brendan Whitworth, who joined Anheuser-Busch in 2013 before working his way up to CEO in 2021, is the latest target in a boycott against Bud Light following the company’s decision to issue a commemorative can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
After noticing that Whitworth previously worked for the CIA on his public LinkedIn profile, conservatives began concocting conspiracy theories regarding Bud Light’s direction.
“Hey guys, I think I found the problem,” conservative commentator Benny Johnson wrote. “The CEO of Budweiser is a CIA operative. No, really.”
The popular right-wing Twitter user known as DC_Draino made similar insinuations, suggesting that Whitworth, who is a registered Republican, was ordered to spread “the regime’s Leftist agenda.”
“Bud Light’s Woke marketing makes a lot more sense when you realize their CEO was in the CIA,” he tweeted. “He’ll never apologize for what AB did b/c he’s a foot soldier for the regime’s Leftist agenda.”
Whitworth initially intended to become a doctor after attending Bucknell University in Pennsylvania following high school. Instead, he joined the Marines in 1998 and served three years before joining the CIA in 2001, where he recruited and handled spies both domestically and abroad. Whitworth then went on to attend Harvard Business School.
Despite Whitworth spending eight years climbing the ranks at Anheuser-Busch before becoming CEO, his stint in the CIA still has many conservatives convinced that he was inserted into the company to push progressive politics.
“I just learned that the current CEO of Anheuser-Busch is actually former CIA. Boy, does that explain A LOT,” another user wrote. “We all know how involved the Clowns In America are in pushing Communist/Marxist agendas all over the world. Playbook known.”
Yet outside of conservative circles, the attempt to connect Whitworth’s former CIA employment to the Mulvaney backlash was largely mocked.
“6-7 years ago, if you went around yelling at people ‘THE CIA MADE MY BEER GAY’ you would be politely escorted to a social worker and a possible psych hold,” journalist Adam Rawnsley wrote. “Now it could probably get you a Daily Wire podcast.”
Just prior to his well-publicized employment with the CIA reaching conservatives’ radar, Whitworth released a statement attempting to quell the concerns of its right-wing followers.
“We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people,” Whitworth wrote. “We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
Given the widespread support for the LGBTQ community among major alcohol brands, some conservatives are now attempting to launch alcohol brands of their own.
But it will cost you upwards of $30 for a six-pack to drink a non-woke beer.
