Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis made a Nevada bar crowd laugh over the weekend with a jab at the often-mocked drink Bud Light.
A round of drinks was shared "on the house" at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9211 Bar with DeSantis, who was serving from behind the bar. DeSantis said, "Just so you know, I'll serve you anything except Bud Light," according to Fox News.
Bud Light caused controversy when it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, the source of DeSantis' ridicule of the company. Consumers all around the nation strongly opposed the relationship, resulting in a negative boycott and a steep drop in sales.
DeSantis, who was in Nevada for the first time since beginning his presidential campaign last month, also attended Gardnerville's annual Basque Fry celebration.
Any candidate hoping to keep up with former President Donald Trump, the current front-runner in the race, will likely need to do well with Republicans in the state who largely supported Trump in 2016 and 2020. Nevada is one of the country's early primary states for the Republican presidential nomination next year.
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The Bud Light Controversy
In March 2023, Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote the brand on social media. Mulvaney, who has over 10 million followers on TikTok, posted a video announcing a March Madness-related contest in partnership with Bud Light. The video was met with immediate backlash from conservative fans of the beer brand, who accused Bud Light of promoting "wokeness" and "cancel culture." Some conservative commentators and celebrities even called for a boycott of the brand.
The controversy quickly spread to other social media platforms, with many users posting negative comments about Bud Light. The company's sales were also affected, with some reports suggesting that they had fallen by over 20 percent in the weeks following the controversy.
In response to the backlash, Bud Light said it was "proud to partner with Dylan Mulvaney" and "committed to representing all communities." The company also said that it would not be "censoring" its social media channels.
The Bud Light controversy is a reminder of the increasingly polarized political climate in the United States. It also shows how quickly social media can spread negative information and generate boycotts.
In the wake of the controversy, Bud Light said it would focus its marketing campaigns on sports and music. The company has also said that it will be more careful about the types of partnerships it enters into.
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