Goya Foods CEO Slammed for Donald Trump Comments

Goya Foods CEO, Robert Unanue, offered praise for President Donald Trump and consumers now want to boycott the company. A handful of high-profile figures took to social media to react to Unanue’s comments.

On Thursday, President Trump held a roundtable at the White House with Hispanic leaders. For his Hispanic Prosperity Initiative, the President signed an executive order to assign an advisory commission with two primary goals. Firstly, the order seeks to improve education. Secondly, the initiative hopes to create business opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

Unanue’s comments during the roundtable landed him in the middle of social media controversy. “Mr. President, what can I tell you? I’m so blessed to be here in the most prosperous country in the world, the greatest country in the world,” Unanue said. “And we’re so blessed to have you as our leader, as we continue to build this country and make it the most prosperous nation in the world.”

Robert Unanue is the third-generation Unanue to run Goya. The privately-held New Jersey-based company was founded in 1936. Currently, Goya touts itself as the biggest Hispanic-owned U.S. food company, according to Yahoo!

Social Media Reactions to the Goya Foods CEO’s Comments

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) voiced her disapproval of Unanue’s comments about the President. Earlier this week, she took to Twitter to write, “Oh look, it’s the sound of me Googling ‘how to make your own Adobo.’”

Former housing secretary from Texas, Julian Castro, also took to Twitter on Thursday night to respond to the situation. Castro writes that Goya “has been a staple of so many Latino households for generations. Now their CEO, Bob Unanue, is praising a president who villainizes and maliciously attacks Latinos for political gain. Americans should think twice before buying their products. #Goyaway.”

Despite the social media backlash, Unanue stands by his comments. Not only did Unanue stand by his comments, but he also called their reaction “suppression of speech.”

On Friday, Unanue joined “Fox & Friends” to discuss the situation. “You make a positive comment, all of a sudden that’s not acceptable? If you’re called by the President of the United States, you’re going to say, ‘No, I’m sorry, I’m busy, no thank you?’ I didn’t say that to the Obamas and I didn’t say that to President Trump,” he said.

[H/T Yahoo!]

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