Black Twitter calls for Goya boycott after CEO praises Trump

The hashtag #GOYAWAY trends on Twitter, as users point out that this president has regularly attacked Mexicans, calling them 'criminals'

Robert Uname, Donald Trump theGrio.com
Robert Uname, CEO of Goya Foods, President Donald Trump (Screenshot from White House video)

The CEO of Goya Foods heaped praise on President Donald Trump during a White House Rose Garden event to support Hispanic businesses on Thursday. 

Robert Uname said, “We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder.” 

READ MORE: KKK leader David Duke endorses Trump, Tucker Carlson for 2020

He continued, “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.”

Donald Trump theGrio.com
Presumptive Republican nominee for US president Donald Trump visits Trump International Golf Links on June 25, 2016 in Aberdeen, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The hashtag #GOYAWAY instantly started trending on Twitter, as users pointed out that this president has regularly attacked immigrants, particularly Hispanics for his entire presidency. In his first campaign speech for the presidency, he described Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and “criminals.”

Former Democratic presidential nominee, Julian Castro said that the company has been a staple of so many Latino households for generations. He said that as their CEO is “praising a president who villainizes and maliciously attacks Latinos for political gain. Americans should think twice before buying their products.” 

Model Chrissy Teigen tweeted, “A shame. Don’t care how good the beans taste though. Bye Bye.” 

Other social media users asked that people not throw Goya products away, but to donate them to a food bank. 

The company itself had announced a plan to donate 1 million cans of their chickpeas and 1 million pounds of food to food banks, during the Rose Garden event. “Our country faces a time of historic challenge but we will meet that challenge together and continue to work towards greatness, focus on a strong recovery, and hold onto the hope for a healthier future for all,” Unanue also said in his statement.

READ MORE: Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen back in federal prison

Republican, Latina television personality, Ana Navarro-Cardenas tweeted, “The CEO of Goya has every right to his opinion. Consumers have every right to theirs. It’s called freedom.” 

During the event, Trump signed an executive order called the White House Prosperity Initiative to “improve access by Hispanic Americans to educational and economic opportunities.” 

On Friday, Uname doubled down on his comments, saying that the backlash is a “suppression of speech” and that he will not be apologizing for his statement.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

SHARE THIS ARTICLE