Trump knocks ‘Radical Left smear machine’ after Goya boycott calls

President Trump knocked the “Radical Left smear machine” on Wednesday after several people called for a boycott of Goya Foods after the CEO praised the president last week.

The president tweeted that the company “is doing GREAT,” adding that “the Radical Left smear machine backfired, people are buying like crazy!”

.@GoyaFoods is doing GREAT. The Radical Left smear machine backfired, people are buying like crazy!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2020

Goya Foods has faced scrutiny in the past few days after the CEO Robert Unanue said during a speech at the White House last week that the U.S. is “truly blessed” to have “a leader like President Trump.” 

Unanue’s speech sparked the hashtags #BoycottGoya and #GoyaFoods to trend on social media after people criticized the company known for selling Latin American food supplies like garbanzo beans. 

Critics said the CEO’s apparent praise of Trump does not align with the president’s rhetoric toward Hispanics and Latinos, as his administration has sought to reduce immigration. 

Unanue told Fox News Friday that he would not apologize for his comments, saying the backlash from Democrats and celebrities was a “suppression of speech.”

Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump used Twitter to promote Goya Foods, captioning a tweet with its logo in English and Spanish. Ivanka Trump’s tweet prompted critics to accuse her of using her government position to promote a business, a violation of an ethics law. 

The president has also tweeted his support of the company in the days following Unanue’s speech.