The shifting U.S. political landscape is influencing more than election outcomes. It’s also reshaping how consumers view brands, their values and the positions they take on social and political issues, according to a new report by YouGov.

Few brands demonstrate this shift more dramatically than American Eagle. The denim-focused specialty retailer was named America’s most bipartisan brand in 2024. Two years later, and following a controversial campaign starring actress Syndey Sweeney that even drew comment from U.S. President Donald Trump, the teen retailer now ranks second among fashion brands Republicans are more likely to prefer.

The global online-based market research and data analytics company’s “U.S. Bipartisan Brand Rankings 2026” report examines consumer preferences across various categories, identifying brands that resonate more strongly with consumers on either side of the political divide, as well as those that attract support from both Republicans and Democrats. The rankings are based on insights from YouGov BrandIndex, an automated brand and competitor tracking tool that measures the public’s perception of thousands of brands, and YouGov Profiles, a market research and audience intelligence tool that aggregates demographic and behavioral data from millions of registered panel members.

While denim brands spent part of 2026 celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States with special products and activations that emphasized patriotism over politics , some nonetheless found stronger support among conservative or liberal consumers.

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