Originally Authored at TheFederalist.com
Former President Donald Trump undermined conservatives’ most significant victory against a “woke” corporation on Wednesday by suggesting they end their boycott of Anheuser-Busch products.
The beer company generated well-deserved backlash last year after its Bud Light brand made transgender-identifying TikTokker Dylan Mulvaney a brand ambassador. On April 1, Mulvaney revealed that Bud Light had sent him a beer can with his face on it to celebrate his year of “girlhood,” calling it his “most prized possession.”
The fallout has been disastrous for Anheuser-Busch. Bud Light sales plummeted, leading some retailers to give cases of the beer away for free to avoid spoilage. In addition to significant layoffs, Anheuser-Busch announced in November that its U.S. chief marking officer would resign at the end of the year.
While a major victory for conservatives exhausted by corporations trumpeting leftist causes, Trump — the leading contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination — suggested on Wednesday that Republicans abandon their successful boycott. Writing on Truth Social, the former president said that while Bud Light’s embrace of Mulvaney “was a mistake of epic proportions, and for that a very big price was paid,” he believes Anheuser-Busch “is not a Woke company.”
“Anheuser-Busch is a Great American Brand that perhaps deserves a Second Chance? What do you think? Perhaps, instead, we should be going after those companies that are looking to DESTROY AMERICA!” Trump wrote. Similar sentiments were also expressed by the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., last year.
The Boycotts Cannot Cease Until Morale Improves
So, why did Trump suddenly jump to the defense of Anheuser-Busch?
Was it because a top Anheuser-Busch GOP lobbyist is hosting a fundraiser for him next month? Or did it stem from the former president’s recent financial investments in the company?
Whatever Trump’s motivations are, his willingness to “Let bygones be bygones” is inexcusable. Anheuser-Busch has never apologized for promoting gender dysphoria and insulting millions of Americans in the process. In fact, Bud Light doubled down on its LGBT obsession by sponsoring various “pride” month events in the weeks after its partnership with Mulvaney became public.
If conservatives abandon their Anheuser-Busch boycott, it will just further incentivize other major companies to continue shoving radical leftism down their consumers’ throats. Think of it like parenting. If a parent doesn’t correct their child’s unruliness, the child will continue to misbehave.
The same philosophy goes for financially punishing companies that advance neo-Marxist ideologies.
Abandoning the Anheuser-Busch boycott is a fool’s errand that does nothing but empower leftists occupying the HR departments of America’s biggest corporations. Conservatives would be wise to ignore Trump’s suggestion and power ahead in leaving Bud Light cans on the shelf where they belong.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood