On Monday, Fox News host Pete Hegseth revealed his beer boycott campaign backfired, causing him to taste the bitter flavor of defeat.
Hegseth and the denizens of Fox News—which have just settled with Dominion Voting Systems over lies its staff told on air about the integrity of the 2020 general election—aggressively went after Budweiser for partnering with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender actor who chronicled her transition on TikTok.
Mulvaney's social media post for Bud Light during March Madness poked fun at her lack of sports knowledge while promoting the beer. She then showcased a can of Bud Light featuring her face on it that was a special edition presentation by the company.
The cans with Mulvaney were never produced in bulk nor were they available in stores. This innocuous act led to a conservative backlash, resulting in a boycott of Budweiser and financial repercussions for the brand.
While filling in on Jesse Watters Primetime, Hegseth confessed he had personally witnessed the boycott's impact during a New York Yankees game with his colleague Will Cain over the weekend. Hegseth admitted "we have lost this battle but we can win the war against Big Busch."
Or so he said.
You can hear what Hegseth said in the video below.
\u201c\u201cWe all drank a local IPA beer instead.. I was going to make a big deal about this proud of the stand that we took until Primetime producers told me the local beer we were drinking is actually owned by Anheuser-Busch\u201d\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
Hegseth said:
“There was nothing more satisfying than seeing fridges full of untouched Bud Light, normally the best seller. We all drank a local IPA beer instead. So did most everybody else.”
“Now I was gonna make a big deal about this, proud of our stand we took, until ‘Primetime’ producers told me the local beer we were drinking is actually owned by—Anheuser-Busch."
“No wonder I feel a little funny today.”
Many mocked Hegseth following his admission.
\u201c@Acyn Republicans slowly realizing that corporate conglomerization ruins their chance to "stick it to the libs" is funnier than any joke I could write.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
\u201c@Acyn Conservatives learning the hard way about how big corporations work and how they can corner an entire industry.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
\u201c@Acyn Show me: Owning the libs, but failing, like all other aspects of my life.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
\u201c@Acyn \u201cThe stand\u201d they took\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
\u201c@Acyn Our selective outrage never leads us to fact check anything. We just jump on anything we can to rile up our base.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
\u201c@Acyn Wow, can't wait for FOX News to come out against monopolies.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
\u201c@Acyn "Not only did AB get our money, they got more money than if we'd just ordered a Bud Light."\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
\u201c@Acyn Republican boycott #1,573 of Anheuser-Busch off to another good start\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1681773113
Mulvaney, who gained fame on TikTok for her Day 365 Of Girlhood video series, was sent a personalized can of Bud Light with her face on it to commemorate a year since she began her gender transition.
However, the partnership drew criticism from bigoted social media users, who called for a boycott of the brand and its parent company.
Earlier this month, musician Kid Rock sparked outrage on social media after posting a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light beer in protest against the company's collaboration with Mulvaney.
Anheuser-Busch has defended its collaboration with Mulvaney, stating the personalized can was sent as a "gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public."
The company also said it works with "hundreds of influencers" across its brands "as one of many ways to connect with audiences across various demographics."
Hegseth isn't the only high-profile conservative to fail at a Bud Light boycott.
Texas Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw recently attempted to boycott Bud Light by posting a video on Instagram.
However, his attempt backfired after it was discovered he was unaware that Karbach, a beer brand owned by the same parent company as Bud Light, was sitting in his fridge.
