Republicans are folding like a cheap deck of cards.
The campaign against Anheuser-Busch, which began after Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney‘s “365th Day of Girlhood” with a commemorative can and to make several commercials, is getting some pushback from within the Republican Party.
Mulvaney’s advertising relationship with the company included several videos promoting Bud Light during March Madness, one of which was filmed in a bathtub.
Conservatives were quick to criticize what they saw as yet another example of corporate wokeness, leading to a significant drop in Bud Light sales and a loss of billions in the company’s stock value.
It appeared that the right had succeeded in punishing a company they felt had disregarded and degraded the values of mainstream Americans.
However, Donald Trump Jr. released a video on Friday denouncing the boycott, arguing that Anheuser-Busch’s donations to Republicans, which he claimed were at a 60/40 split, should prompt conservatives to abandon the fight.
Following Trump Jr.’s video, the GOP establishment and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) circled the wagons and have rallied in defense of Anheuser-Busch.
This division within the party has led to a clash between grassroots conservatism and the establishment.
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh highlighted this conflict in a tweet: “The GOP establishment is circling the wagons around Anheuser Busch. These people don’t have any interest in pushing back against corporate wokeism or transgenderism. In fact, they want to help normalize both. This is grassroots conservatism vs the establishment, as always.”
The term “establishment” often refers to the party’s leadership, including those who were once outsiders but now hold decision-making power. There is a triangulation of power within the Republican Party that may not necessarily benefit conservatives, and we are not obliged to support everything the party says.
Some argue that the Bud Light boycott should continue regardless of Anheuser-Busch’s donations to Republicans.
The focus should be on demonstrating to corporations that catering to the far left will have consequences, rather than settling for half-measures based on political contributions.
Walsh’s criticism highlights that many in the GOP do not prioritize combating transgenderism, viewing it as an inconvenient issue they would prefer to avoid in order to maintain donor support.
However, true leadership should not be dictated by donor satisfaction.
Critics argue that Anheuser-Busch must face the consequences of its actions unless it takes significant measures, such as firing the VP of marketing responsible for partnering with Mulvaney.
RELATED: Country Star Alters His Song Lyrics at Concert – It’s Clear He’s Done with Bud Light
These critics (me included) believe that folding and giving in as Donald Trump Jr. suggests will only embolden corporations to continue promoting progressive ideals, and the issue of combatting corporate wokeness is more important than the company’s donations to Republicans.
Grassroots Republicans must stay strong and ignore the call from establishment Republicans to end the boycott.