Saying at first she “decided to take the back seat and let them tucker themselves out,” Dylan Mulvaney posted a video to TikTok today announcing she’s had a change of heart. Mulvaney, of course, is the transgender influencer who promoted a Bud Light March Madness contest on her accounts and sparked a firestorm.
Conservative entertainers and politicians railed against Budweiser, calling for a boycott. An agitated Kid Rock posted a jarring video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light with an assault weapon and screaming “f*ck Bud Light!” Others, both famous and otherwise, followed suit.
Mulvaney said today that what convinced her to speak out was not a desire to address critics, but the need to address the nearly 13 million people “who at some point liked me enough to hit the follow button on these apps.”
Here is the majority of what she had to say:
Reports indicate Anheuser-Busch has suffered a financial hit in the wake of its Mulvaney endorsement. U.S. bar owners, stores, and distributors are all reporting severe sales declines on Bud Light.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a statement that attempted to explain the company’s position.
“We have thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere,” Whitworth said. “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
The company even brought out its iconic Clydesdales and imagery of American landmarks ranging from New York City to the Grand Canyon, with a solemn voiceover delivering a patriotic message.
“This is a story bigger than beer,” the narrator says. “This is the story of the American spirit.”
At one point, the ad shows two people raising an American flag, with one placing a hand over her heart.
