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The more liberals use the phrase “saying the quiet part loud” the less meaningful that phrase seems to be, but boy, Donald Trump and co. really have a knack for it, huh? Sydney Sweeney’s strange, arguably-eugenics-flavored American Eagle ad controversy caused quite a fuss, which Republicans were all too happy to keep fussing over as it presented one of those golden culture war opportunities. Vice President JD Vance literally encouraged the conversation to continue because he thinks it will benefit conservatives. The president’s “quiet part loud” is a little more classic and caveman brained: If celebrity Republican, good, if celebrity not, enemy.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, a journalist suggested to Trump that Sweeney is a member of his party (via The Hill). “You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans,” he peacocked proudly. “That’s what I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”
If she wasn’t a Republican (or simply anti-Trump), the ad would of course be bad, as per Trump’s cynical and simple-minded worldview. Luckily for him (and unluckily for any of us who are tired of hearing about Sweeney), several outlets including BuzzFeed and The Guardian have confirmed that Sweeney is registered as a Republican in Trump’s own home base of Florida. This won’t come as a huge surprise for anyone who has followed along with the Sweeney circus; in 2022, fans were rankled when pictures of a Sweeney family gathering showed attendees wearing “MAGA”-style red baseball caps. “An innocent celebration for my mom’s milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions,” she posted in response. Evidence suggests, however, that those assumptions were correct. Now Sweeney can enjoy a career not only as an in-demand actor but also as the right’s favorite culture war martyr.
