US government account copies Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad and people aren't happy

A department within the US government has been slammed for copying the controversial Sydney Sweeney ad on social media.

Recently, commentary around Euphoria actor Sweeney’s denim jeans ad campaign for clothing brand American Eagle has swirled after some suggested the wordplay and imagery involved was “imbued with eugenic messaging”.

While this was all fairly low on the internet’s radar initially, it shot up after reports emerged that Sweeney is allegedly a registered Republican Party member, causing president Donald Trump to stand up for her and claim she has the “hottest ad out there”.

It didn’t stop there, as the U.S. Department of Defense’s official X/Twitter “affiliate account”, “Rapid Response”, shared a post referencing the moment by using similar wording to the ad.

Sharing a picture of the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth leaving a plane wearing a pair of denim jeans, they posted alongside it: “@secdef has great jeans.”

It’s fair to say it hasn’t gone down well.

“Is this what the Pentagon thought was important today?” someone asked.

Another said: “I just want a serious government—and particularly a serious Department of Defense—that doesn’t waste time or energy shilling for the egos of its leadership with glam shots like this. Don’t you? Surely this isn’t an unreasonable expectation.”

Someone else mocked: “Hey parents, I know your son or daughter maybe in harm’s way and doing a lethal job, but triggering the libs is our ultimate goal here at DOD.”

“I can take a joke but this seems a little needy, no?” another asked.

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