Chrissy Teigen tweeted in support of a growing call to boycott Goya Foods after its CEO praised President Donald Trump in a recent press conference.
Goya CEO Robert Unanue met with Trump on Thursday and helped him to announce an executive order for the Hispanic Prosperity Initiative in a Rose Garden ceremony, according to CNN. In his remarks, Unanue spoke highly of President Trump.
"We're all truly blessed...to have have a leader like President Trump who is a builder," he said in his brief remarks. "We have an incredible builder, and we pray. We pray for our leadership, our president."
Backlash to his comments quickly grew with many tweeting with the hashtags #BoycottGoya and #Goyaway. Politicians like Julián Castro and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez notably voiced their disapproval for the CEO and the company, which identifies itself as the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States.
"@GoyaFoods has been a staple of so many Latino households for generations," Castro wrote in his tweet. "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."
Chrissy Teigen also seemed to lend her support to the boycott, saying in her tweet "A shame. Don’t care how good the beans taste though. Bye bye." She also said she would "personally do what I can to financially ensure these farms can carry on without them."
When Delish reached out to Goya for comment, they directed us to a press release on Unanue's visit to the White House.
“I am honored to be a part of the Hispanic Prosperity Initiative and to support and celebrate the contributions of the Hispanic community. We are committed to our country and the need to give back because it is the right thing to do,” Unanue said in the statement. “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.”
CNN reported that they did speak with a Goya spokesperson but that the representative had emphasized that the purpose of Unanue's remarks was to announce that the company would be donating one million cans of chickpeas and one million other foods to U.S. food banks. The rep did not comment specifically on the calls for a boycott.
