If there’s one thing the Trump family never shies away from, it’s controversy. Whether it’s politics, pop culture, or just plain bizarre internet behavior, the Trumps have a knack for jumping into the middle of confusion. And this week, Donald Trump Jr. managed to stir the pot yet again. This time, he dragged his father into the middle of a denim debate that includes Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney.
So, it all started with an ad campaign.
Sydney Sweeney created ~$300 million in shareholder value by wearing denim. pic.twitter.com/gtsWrHrSin
— mikko (@Mikko_Freeman) July 29, 2025
American Eagle launched a new denim promo that features Sydney Sweeney. The tone? Flirty, cheeky, and a little too on-the-nose for some viewers.
Critics quickly latched onto the wordplay involving “jeans” and “genes,” arguing that the campaign hinted at eugenics, a long-debunked, racist theory about breeding desirable human traits like blue eyes and blond hair. While many were outraged by the implications, Don Jr. wasn’t exactly losing sleep over it.
In fact, he seemed to revel in the backlash, using it as an excuse to post one of the most head-scratching tributes to his father yet. On July 29, he shared an AI-generated image of Donald Trump in a full denim outfit, dubbed the infamous “Canadian tuxedo,” lounging on the ground with one leg casually propped up.
And the caption? “That Hanse…. Um, Donald is so hot right now!!!”
Yep, that’s what he wrote. And the internet did not take it well.
View this post on Instagram
The comments on the post were limited, but that didn’t stop people from reacting elsewhere. One user said exactly what most were thinking: “Weird thing to post about your dad.” Another called it “just so creepy; the image and don jr response.” A third didn’t hold back at all: “This idiot is so incredibly repulsive! Don’t nobody wanna see that!”
Turns out, the image wasn’t even original. It first appeared on the satire Instagram page 300 Guns, and Don Jr. gave them credit by tagging them in the repost. Around the same time, a similar fake image of JD Vance wearing double denim also made the rounds, part of what seemed like a wave of bizarre fashion-themed MAGA memes.
All of this, strangely enough, was in support of Sweeney. It seems some on the far-right have adopted the American Eagle ad as a kind of rebellious stand against “woke outrage.”
Despite the backlash, American Eagle hasn’t offered an apology. In fact, quite the opposite. Ashley Schapiro, the brand’s VP of marketing, proudly posted on LinkedIn: “The star power of Sydney and the double meaning behind the campaign has a culture shaping power beyond anything I could have ever imagined being a part of—just check your social feeds.”
Of course, the internet’s imagination didn’t stop at denim. In the comments about “Hanse-Trump” (a nickname parodying Zoolander‘s Hansel), one person dryly remarked: “I prefer the South Park version.”
“I have the best genes there has ever been in the history of genetics, they’re tremendous genes, like no other genes that people have ever seen.”
Also, although I would never wear denim, you’ll look fantastic in my new “Trump’s American Jeans”. Tremendous. pic.twitter.com/NWSjRGA0Ar
— Shando (@TheBurkeShow) July 29, 2025
That version, by the way, refers to Trump’s parody in South Park‘s season 27 premiere, “Sermon on the Mount,” which also took aim at his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
While the ad may have earned Sweeney the unexpected support of the MAGA crowd, South Park fans weren’t nearly as forgiving. Their backlash has been loud.
This strange tangle of fashion, AI photos, satire, and social media spin proves one thing: when the Trumps get involved, even a denim campaign can turn into headline drama.
