Photo Credit: CBS News

“CBS MORNINGS” EXCLUSIVE: In response to recent controversy, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth tells CBS MORNINGS that his company will continue to support the LGBTQ community. He did not directly answer the question of whether the promotional campaign with a transgender influencer was a mistake.

Watch the full interview here. Must credit CBS MORNINGS in your coverage.

Interview Highlights:

Whitworth on the impact of the controversy following Bud Light’s online promotion with transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney: “One thing I’d love to make extremely clear is that impact is my responsibility and as the CEO, everything we do here I’m accountable for.”

Whitworth expanded on the controversy: “It’s been a challenging few weeks. I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive. And Bud Light really doesn’t belong there. Bud Light should be all about bringing people together. And there’s an impact on the business, and I think that’s publicly covered on Bud Light specifically.”

When asked if Bud Light would do this campaign again, Whitworth said: “There’s a big social conversation taking place right now, and big brands are right in the middle of it and it’s not just our industry or Bud Light. It’s happening in retail, happening in fast food. And so for us what we need to understand – deeply understand and appreciate – is the consumer and what they want, what they care about and what they expect from big brands.”

Whitworth on whether the campaign was a mistake: “... As we move forward, you know, we want to focus on what we do best, which is brewing great beer for everyone, listening to our consumers, being humble in listening to them, making sure that we do right by our employees, take care and support our partners and ultimately make an impact in the communities that we serve.”

When asked about Anheuser-Busch donating to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians and where the company stands on queer rights, Whitworth said: “We support politicians that support our business, and when we say that we talk about things like – things that work for the industry, allow us to grow the business, allow us to employ more people and really help drive the economy.”

Whitworth says the financial support for wholesalers has already started to go out:

WHITWORTH: We announced investment for our frontline employees and their employees as well as financial support for our wholesalers.

CBS: Has that started?

WHITWORTH: That has started.

When asked about how the controversy has affected him as a CEO, Whitworth said: “I think it’s the impact honestly on the employees that weighs most on me. But again, as I mentioned, seeing the pride and the commitment that they have, working on behalf of a 165-plus-year-old American institution is what gives us energy as we look to move forward and focus on what we do best.”

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Press Contacts:

Samantha Graham, CBS News Communications

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Anna Gibson, CBS News Communications

GibsonA@cbsnews.com