White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is wading into the controversy surrounding Bud Light and transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
During a press briefing on Thursday, a reporter said, “Dylan Mulvaney has been the target of a barrage of attacks from anti-trans individuals online after she did an ad with Bud Light a couple of weeks ago.”
“She’s been someone who’s been here to the White House. She interviewed the president last year. He had a lot of warm words for her,” the reporter continued, adding, “Has anyone here at the White House reached out to her since she became the target of these attacks?”
Jean-Pierre responded, “I don’t have any calls to review at this time. And I don’t have anything specifically to say about this report.”
“But what I can say, [is] when a transgender American posts a video about a brand of beer they enjoy, and it leads to bomb threats, it’s clear that level of violence and vitriol against transgender Americans needs to stop,” she continued.
She went on:
“The administration is going to do everything that they can to protect LGBTQI+ people who are under attack — and that’s what we’re seeing especially in statehouses. And so we’re going to fight alongside them to protect their rights. They should be allowed to be who they are, who they want to be… And we should be able to speak out, and others should be able to speak out against hate and discrimination.”
Finally, Jean-Pierre reiterated, “Look, that type of dangerous rhetoric, that type of vitriolic language and violence, that needs to stop.”
Watch the video below:
REPORTER: "Dylan Mulvaney has been the target of a barrage of attacks from anti-trans individuals online after she [he] did an ad with Bud Light…"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 20, 2023
KJP: "That level of violence and vitriol against transgender Americans needs to stop!" pic.twitter.com/eTupughLCQ
Earlier this month, Mulvaney shared the company sent the commemorative cans to mark the celebration of the influencer’s “365 Days of Girlhood.”
Mulvaney also posted a video that was recorded in a bathtub, which was reportedly part of a campaign for the brand.
This isn’t a parody. Dylan Mulvaney is now the face of Bud Light. pic.twitter.com/cpygA74cG5
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 2, 2023
The campaign has led various celebrities to announce boycotts of the beer.
Several country music stars said they were done with Anheuser-Busch products.
There have been reports of Budweiser facilities around the country receiving bomb threats in the wake of the Mulvaney campaign.
In an open letter last week, Brendan Whitworth, the chief executive of Anheuser-Busch, wrote, “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
