Ted Cruz demands Bud Light investigation after Dylan Mulvaney ad partnership

Texas and Tennessee Senators Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn are calling for a congressional investigation of Bud Light’s marketing.

This comes after weeks of escalating transphobic hate aimed at trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. 

The 26-year-old influencer posted a promotional video for Bud Light with her dressed as Aubrey Hepbun.

Since then, she’s received horrendous hate for the partnership. 

I can't think of a time when a company has gone more out of its way to alienate and irritate its customers than what Bud Light did by partnering with Dylan Mulvaney. pic.twitter.com/OWdBWZFcaL

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 22, 2023

In an open letter from the Senate’s commerce committee to Anheuser Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth, Mulvaney is repeatedly misgendered.

They claim: “Mulvaney’s audience skews significantly younger than the legal drinking age and violates the Beer Institute’s Advertising/Marketing Code and Buying Guidelines.”

Furthermore, the senators encourage Whitworth to “sever [the] relationship” with Mulvaney. Additionally, to make her delete “any Anheuser-Busch content” on her social media.

The senators added that the beer company is demonstrating “clear failure to exercise appropriate due diligence when selecting online influencers for its marketing efforts warrants detailed oversight by Congress.”

The letter then lists eight requests for documents surrounding the advertising partnership with Mulvaney.

“Anheuser-Busch had a key moment to stand up”

In the wake of the controversy, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has warned Bud Light may drop in its 100% Corporate Equality Index score.

The report outlines companies’ policies for queer employees. HRC has currently suspended the beer company’s score and warns they have 90 days to respond.

Eric Bloem, HRC’s senior director of programmes and corporate advocacy, said: “Anheuser-Busch had a key moment to stand up and demonstrate the importance of their values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and their response really fell short.”

Bud Light’s sales were down more than 20% at the end of April, according to an Associated Press report.

However, Morning Consult‘s survey revealed the majority of US beer drinkers are favourable to brands working with a trans spokesperson.

Since, several LGBTQ+ bars have boycotted the beer after the brand distanced itself from Mulvaney.