AP Photo/Alex Brandon
- Donald Trump Jr. expressed opposition to a conservative boycott of Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch.
- Conservatives have blasted Bud Light's partnership with popular trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
- Trump Jr. on his podcast "Triggered" praised Anheuser-Busch as an "iconic" company.
Donald Trump Jr. is calling for the end of a conservative-led boycott against Bud Light, which is owned by Anheuser-Busch, over the parent company's partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
During an April 13 broadcast of his "Triggered" podcast, the eldest son of former President Donald Trump addressed the controversy that has become a new cultural front in the political right's increasingly vocal criticism of transgender issues and the conservative push to pass legislation restricting gender-affirming care.
Trump Jr., who frequently rails against what he deems as "woke" influences in American society, is usually fighting alongside conservatives on many issues, but he broke away from the movement as it related to Anheuser-Busch.
"I'm not for destroying an American, an iconic company, for something like this. The company itself doesn't participate in the same leftist nonsense as the other big conglomerates," he said, arguing that Anheuser-Busch had a conservative lean in their political donations.
According to OpenSecrets, Anheuser-Busch and individuals affiliated with the company donated $514,375 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2022 election cycle; individuals with ties to the company also gave $464,505 to the National Republican Congressional Committee for the same cycle.
"Frankly, they don't participate in the same woke garbage that other people in the beer industry actually do, who are significantly worse offenders when I looked into it," he continued. "But if they do this again, then it's on them! Then, screw them."
The boycott began when many conservatives became incensed that Bud Light partnered with Mulvaney, a transgender TikTok influencer, during this year's NCAA basketball tournament.
On the day of the women's finals game, Mulvaney posted about a Bud Light-sponsored contest on Instagram, where she was recorded drinking the beer on camera.
"Happy March Madness!! Just found out this had to do with sports and not just saying it's a crazy month! In celebration of this sports thing @budlight is giving you the chance to win $15,000!" she wrote in the post.
"Share a video with #EasyCarryContest for a chance to win!! Good luck!" she continued, before adding the hashtag #budlightpartner.
Mulvaney, who has over 10 million followers on TikTok, also showcased a personalized Bud Light can that was sent to her by the company.
The conservative backlash was swift.
Kid Rock soon posted an Instagram video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light and the country music singer Travis Tritt announced that he would ban Anheuser-Busch beverages from his tour.
During a recent appearance on the podcast "Onward with Rosie O'Donnell," Mulvaney said that she was an "easy target" for criticism due to the fact that she only recently transitioned.
"It's so sad because everything I try to put out is positive," she said. "It's trying to connect with others that maybe don't understand me. It's to make people laugh, or to make a kid feel seen."
"The reason I think I'm an easy target is because I'm still new to this," she continued. "I think going after a trans woman who has been doing this for 20 years is a lot more difficult. Maybe they think there's some sort of chance with me that they can — but I mean, what is their goal?"