The disastrous decision by Bud Light to partner with Dylan Mulvaney – a man who dresses up as a preteen girl – continues to haunt them. The company’s sales are down and executives are scrambling for a solution.
Two people who were responsible for the production of a commemorative can of “365 Days of Girlhood” for Mulvaney, and for paying him to promote Bud Light, have been granted a “leave from absence.” The company also created a patriotic advertising campaign to reconnect with its core customer base.
Bud Light’s sales continue to fall, so it has decided to move on with its next plan: luring Republicans onto Capitol Hill.
Fox News reports that Anheuser-Busch – which owns Bud Light – is hiring a lobbying team made up of ex-Republican Senate staffers in order to regain the favor of conservatives. They may not need to do much, given that some Republicans have already caved.
The Belgian-based InBev brewing conglomerate, which owns the beer giant, has hired former Republican Senate staffers as lobbyists in an effort to improve Bud Light’s reputation among conservatives after backlash from its partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Disclosures reveal that A-B hired Origin Advocacy, LLC, a lobbying firm, weeks ago, to represent its interests on “general policies regarding the alcohol and beverage industry.” Emily Lynch, a partner at Origin, is also tasked with handling this account. Both are veteran GOP aides.
McClean was a legislative director in the House for Marsha Blackburn, now a senator (R-Tenn.), and a White House liaison for the Commerce Department during the administration of President Trump.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in the former senators for whom these staffers worked. Ted Cruz is not to blame for his former legislative director’s decision to become a lobbyist. It’s unfortunate that this is the natural course for people who worked on Capitol Hill for decades.
It is a question of whether Republicans will fall for it. Bud Light, according to reports, is making its rounds meeting legislators and expressing respect for conservative values. If the company had real conservative values, it would not have done this stunt in the first place. You don’t accidentally partner up with a man who is mentally ill and also one of the most prominent proponents of transgender ideologies.
Bud Light’s lobbying campaign feels more like a post-event attempt to clean up than a genuine expression of beliefs. The higher-ups would not be doing this if the company hadn’t faced the backlash that it received for the Mulvaney case. It’s good that they listened to the market, but it doesn’t mean Republicans should forget.
I don’t give a damn how much money Bud Light gives to Republicans. This is not the type of fight that you should give up just because some lobbyists come and promise big checks.
Conservatives should continue to boycott Bud Light and take their scalp unless they completely surrender and apologize (and what has been done thus far does not qualify). This would send a clear message to other companies that we won’t stand by and let them spit on our faces.