Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, has called for an investigation into Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, over its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The partnership was part of a promotional campaign tied to the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. Cruz and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee sent a letter to Brendan Whitworth, the Anheuser-Busch CEO and chairman of the Beer Institute, claiming that Bud Light might have violated existing guidelines that prevent beer companies from promoting their products to younger audiences. The senators urged Anheuser-Busch to sever its relationship with Mulvaney, apologize to the American people for marketing alcoholic beverages to minors, and direct Mulvaney to remove any Anheuser-Busch content from her social media platforms.
Conservative groups have been boycotting Bud Light and pouring beer down drains in protest of the partnership with Mulvaney, who is a trans woman with a prominent social media profile. Cruz and Blackburn misgendered Mulvaney throughout their correspondence, and seem convinced that Bud Light marketed alcoholic beverages to minors, despite evidence to the contrary. Cruz ran to Fox News to celebrate himself for tackling the big challenges facing the nation, such as a March Madness ad featuring a social media influencer he doesn’t like because of her gender identity.
Cruz and Blackburn seem to believe they’re initiating an actual investigation, but their letter to the Anheuser-Busch CEO said the Bud Light partnership with a trans influencer « warrants detailed oversight by Congress. » The senators made a series of document requests, but the beer company can ignore those requests. Cruz isn’t in a position to issue subpoenas or call hearings because, at least for now, there’s a Democratic majority in the Senate.
This stunt tells us a great deal about who Cruz is, what he values, whom he picks fights with, and how he tries to misuse the power Texans gave him. It’s also a safe bet that a fundraising campaign will soon follow. Cruz may be seeking to show some bipartisan credentials as he runs for re-election in a state that is becoming more competitive, but he hasn’t abandoned his « flamethrower » persona altogether.