Twitter Explodes With Calls To Boycott Goya Foods After CEO Heaps Praise On Trump
Goya Foods, the Latino food giant, soared to the top of Twitter’s trending topics Thursday after its CEO heaped praise on President Donald Trump, prompting many of its customers to say they would boycott the business in light of the president’s history of vilifying Hispanics.
In remarks at the Rose Garden, Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue said that the country is “truly blessed” to be under Trump’s leadership, and he compared the president to his Spanish immigrant grandfather.
“We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder,” said Unanue, who has led the family-owned food company since 2004. “And that’s what my grandfather did. He came to this country to build, to grow and to prosper. And we have an incredible builder and we pray, we pray for our leadership, our president and for our country, that we continue to prosper and to grow.”
The remarks came following a roundtable discussion between Trump and Hispanic leaders before the president signed an executive order called the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative.
The CEO of @GoyaFoods is at a White House event saying we're
"blessed to have a leader" like Trump.
Make your shopping decisions accordingly. pic.twitter.com/lLHSz4mEUV— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) July 9, 2020
Twitter exploded with comments pointing out Trump’s persistent history of racist rhetoric toward America’s Hispanic community. Among those to voice their intention to boycott the business were Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and former Housing Secretary Julián Castro.
Goya and #Goyaway were the top two trending topics on Twitter on Thursday night. #BoycottGoya and Unanue’s name and title were on the list, too.
Goya Foods did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.
Oh look, it’s the sound of me Googling “how to make your own Adobo” https://t.co/YOScAcyAnC
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 10, 2020
.@GoyaFoods 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 https://t.co/lZDQlK6TcU— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) July 9, 2020
No apology from @GoyaFoods will be sufficient to erase today’s comments.
If GOYA cares about the Hispanic/Latinx community (AND REALLY WANTS TO APOLOGIZE) then they better start by sending food to asylum seekers at the border and feed EVERY SINGLE immigrant Trump has detained.— Juan Escalante (@JuanSaaa) July 9, 2020
The CEO of @GoyaFoods thinks we’re "blessed to have a leader" who's letting this pandemic kill us, cage our children, and constantly dehumanizes us.
Yo Goya, tell your man to stop praising a racist. Latinos made him and his family rich by buying Goya products for decades. https://t.co/KZzUAE3UfE— Voto Latino (@votolatino) July 9, 2020
Please don’t throw away food. Many hungry people in our country. Donate unwanted @GoyaFoods products to a food bank. There are many alternative Latin products in the market. The CEO of Goya has every right to his opinion. Consumers have every right to theirs. It’s called freedom. https://t.co/0HVfHT980o pic.twitter.com/W56fyxfT0T
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) July 10, 2020
Time to find another brand for my seasoning! And it's sad because I really like Goya's Adobo.
But I won't be giving my money to this Trump supporting enterprise. Absolutely not. Basura. https://t.co/cBTSdPE0Ba— 😷Derrick Clifton (@DerrickClifton) July 9, 2020
I won't buy their products.
I guess Bob Unanue doesn't consider himself Hispanic. Or hates people from Latin America.
My mother's parents both trace their lineage back to Spain. Their families have been in Colombia for several generations.
His hypocrisy disgusts me.#Goyaway pic.twitter.com/buvPa1QmQ5— Leia🇨🇴 (@TheSWPrincess) July 10, 2020
Please list your alternatives to @GoyaFoods here, we'll start: La Fe, Badia Spices, Conchita, y Iberia Foods #BoycottGoya
— BFPeroLike (@BFPeroLike) July 9, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.