Twitter users are calling for a boycott of Goya Foods, a brand that is known for its Hispanic-staple food offerings, after the company's CEO heaped praise on President Donald Trump during a visit to the White House on Thursday.
Robert Unanue, the CEO of the family-owned business since 2004, said that the country was "blessed" to have Trump at the helm in remarks made following a roundtable with Hispanic businessmen and political leaders from across the country.
'Blessed' to have Trump
"We're all truly blessed—at the same time—to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder," Unanue said. "And that's what my grandfather did. He came to this country to build, to grow, to prosper."
When Unanue refers to Trump as a "builder," the only thing that comes to mind is his infamous "build that wall" chant from his 2016 presidential campaign when he said he planned to build a 500-mile-long border wall between the United States and Mexico and make the latter pay for it.
Trump has maintained a tenuous relationship with much of the Hispanic community ever since his campaign for the presidency, in which he described Mexican immigrants as "rapists" and "criminals."
At the press briefing on Thursday, Trump vowed to "stand arm-in-arm with the Hispanic community to make sure every child can grow up in peace" while thousands of innocent kids are held in cages in the custody of Border Patrol.
Social Media Reactions
By aligning himself with Trump, Unanue, a third-generation Spanish American, enraged many with his remarks and potentially hurt his multi-million dollar business as users vowed never to use Goya's products again.
"Shame on Goya! How dare you support a racist who hates Latinos! I've been a lifelong supporter of Goya products, but I will never buy another @GoyaFoods product as long as I live!!," tweeted one user.
My husband is Cuban and he's been cooking with @GoyaFoods for as long as I can remember — but no more," commented another. "We just cleaned out our pantry closet and threw out EVERY one of their products. Adios, Goya!!"
Here are some of the other tweets:
Disturbing to hear Robert Unanue, CEO @GoyaFoods, say that U.S. is "blessed" to have @realDonaldTrump, calling him "a builder." Trump has called Mexicans "rapists" and "criminals" and invaders. I'm donating Goya products in my pantry to charity. After that, I'll #BoycottGoya. pic.twitter.com/KAtozIUIH4
— Kenneth Jones (@ByKennethJones) July 10, 2020
"We're all truly blessed to have a leader like President Trump." -CEO of Goya Foods, Robert Unanue
— José (@yoruguaenusa) July 9, 2020
Trump called Hispanics rapists & murders and place children in cages because they were searching for a better life.
FREE THE CHILDREN
#BoycottGoya pic.twitter.com/1nThLq2oHs
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.
— Voto Latino (@votolatino) July 9, 2020
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
Time to find another brand for my seasoning! And it's sad because I really like Goya's Adobo.
— 😷Derrick Clifton (@DerrickClifton) July 9, 2020
But I won't be giving my money to this Trump supporting enterprise. Absolutely not. Basura. https://t.co/cBTSdPE0Ba
