Pete Hegseth, 45, was roundly mocked for his ‘thirst trap’ homage to Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ‘good jeans’ .
Hegseth’s take on the controversial ad campaign came as the Trump administration fully embraced Sweeney – whether she likes it or not – after it emerged that she is a registered Republican voter in Florida.
The 27-year-old Hollywood star sparked liberal meltdown after she posed in American Eagle jeans with the slogan ‘Sydney Sweeney has good jeans’ – a play on her good looks.
Now, Hegseth — who faces multiple scandals at the Pentagon — has waded into the controversy with a picture on the Department of Defense Rapid Response X account.
The post shows the Secretary of Defense stepping off a plane wearing sunglasses, a blazer, an ornate belt and tight-fitting blue jeans.
‘Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has good jeans,’ the caption reads.
Social media has since been swamped with critics questioning the priorities of the department.
‘The social feed has nothing better to do than post an @SecDef thirst trap?’ one critic asked.
‘We’re not a serious country anymore,’ another added.
Others described the picture and accompanying post as ‘cringe’ and urged the administration to set its sights on delivering on promises.
‘Those jeans look like they chafe, my dude,’ another pointed out while a fourth added: ‘Please just stop.’
Hegseth has been facing internal challenges within his department amid questions about whether he is fit to serve in the high-stakes role.
Less than two months into his term, he was dragged into the ‘Signalgate’ scandal in which a journalist was unintentionally included in a discussion about a military strike in Yemen, and since then has been battling leaks from within his own department.
But he has now fallen into lockstep with Trump and other prominent conservatives, who have repeatedly come to Sweeney’s defense against the ‘woke’ mafia after learning she’s been a registered Republican since last June.
‘Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the “HOTTEST” ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are “flying off the shelves.” Go get ‘em Sydney!’ the president said.
Woke critics have described the campaign as ‘Nazi propaganda’ or a ‘dog whistle’, primarily because the glamorous Sweeney has blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin.
In the campaign visuals, the Spokane, Washington-born actress – who is set to portray boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic – models various denim looks.
In an accompanying video, Sydney buttons up her jeans and reflects, ‘Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color… my genes are blue.’
A second advert sees the camera pan down Sydney’s chest as she models a plunging denim jumpsuit.
She muses: ‘My body’s composition is determined by my genes…’ before adding: ‘Hey, eyes up here’ as the camera cuts back to her face.
On Sunday night, the Daily Mail asked Trump if he had any interest in Sweeney’s political leanings.
‘She’s a registered Republican?’ the president questioned on the tarmac of the Lehigh Valley International Airport outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
‘You’d be surprised at how many people are Republican. That’s one I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that.
‘If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.’