Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighed in on the controversial Bud Light debate; the beer’s brewer Anheuser-Busch partnered with trans TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
From Fox News:
During an interview Monday evening with political commentator Benny Johnson, DeSantis said he would not be drinking Bud Light anymore as he did not wish to help enable “woke companies” and their goals of “trying to change our country, trying to change policy, [and] trying to change [the] culture.”
“Why would you want to drink Bud Light? I mean like honestly, that’s like them rubbing our faces in it, and it’s like these companies that do this, if they never have any response, they are just gonna keep doing it,” DeSantis told Johnson.
The Republican governor suggested conservatives do not have to sit on the sidelines on the issue, but they have “power” to hit the company where it hurts: their bottom line.
“So, if you as a consumer are like… ‘ yeah, they’re doing that, but I’m just gonna keep drinking it anyways,’ well, then they’re gonna keep doing it,” the governor continued. “So I think we have power as consumers to make our voice heard, and not on every company because sometimes conservative consumers aren’t going to make a dent in some companies.”
He added: “This one is one if you don’t have conservative beer drinkers, you’re gonna feel that and so you know.”
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DeSantis also said: “Some of these controversies that come up, and people can kind of just say, ‘Oh, well it’s kind of a one-off, yeah, it was stupid to do,’ but it’s part of a larger thing where corporate America is trying to change our country. Trying to change policy, trying to change culture, and you know, I’d rather be governed by we the people than woke companies, and so I think [the] pushback is in order across the board including with Bud Light.”
Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Brendan Whitworth issued an apology on Friday without mentioning the woke direction of the company.
As the CEO of a company founded in America’s heartland more than 165 years ago, I am responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew.
We’re honored to be part of the fabric of this country. Anheuser-Busch employs more than 18,000 people and our independent distributors employ an additional 47,000 valued colleagues. We have thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere.
We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.
My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another. As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.
I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands and our partners. I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors and others.
Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.
More over at Fox News:
DeSantis says Anheuser-Busch is too woke, has lost him as a customer: 'Why would you want to drink Bud Light?' https://t.co/3xcm3JrzVD
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 18, 2023