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Donald Trump has called on conservatives to ease their boycott of Anheuser-Busch, the company that produces Bud Light, in regards to LGBT+ rights. This gesture can be seen as an attempt to reconcile with one of the largest beer companies in America.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump posted on his social network, Truth Social, expressing his belief that the company is a renowned American brand worthy of another opportunity.
He also stated that he is creating a catalog of “enlightened companies”, and that Anheuser-Busch, who contributed almost $1.8m to Republicans in the 2022 elections, was not included.
“The Bud Light ad was a mistake of epic proportions, and for that a very big price was paid,” said Mr Trump, referring to last year’s Pride Month advert featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that triggered the boycott.
“However, Anheuser Busch is not a company that prioritizes societal awareness,” he elaborated. “I have a list of companies that do, and I may consider sharing it publicly.”
“Why is that? The extreme Left often employs aggressive tactics against successful, conservative businesses and individuals. It’s a despicable approach, but it’s how they operate in their strategy.”
Last year, it was discovered that Mr. Trump owned Anheuser-Busch shares worth $1m to $5m. He then moved on to a strange statement, similar to one found in a company’s official statement, discussing Bud Light’s contributions to American farmers and their scholarships for military veterans’ families.
“What are your thoughts? Maybe we should focus on targeting countries that are seeking to DESTROY AMERICA!” he finished.
During the summer, the sales of Bud Light significantly decreased due to a negative reaction from conservative viewers to the Dylan Mulvaney commercial. This resulted in Bud Light losing its top spot as the best-selling beer brand in America and causing a 10.5% drop in the company’s US revenue from April to June.
However, according to the non-profit organization OpenSecrets, the company’s political action committee and individual executives have continued to contribute to Republican candidates through donations.
Since 1998, it has consistently given more donations to Republican candidates than Democratic candidates in each election cycle, except for 2008, 2010, and 2024 (to date).
Anheuser-Busch has not yet responded to a comment request.
Source: independent.co.uk