Trumps tweet support for Goya amid boycott calls
U.S. President Donald Trump and his daughter and adviser Ivanka are rallying support for Goya Foods on Twitter, amid continued calls on social media to boycott the food company over its CEO's effusive praise for Trump.
Early on Wednesday, Trump tweeted, without citing evidence, that "Goya Foods is doing GREAT. The Radical Left smear machine backfired, people are buying like crazy!"
And on Instagram Trump posted a picture of himself in the Oval Office giving two thumbs with Goya products on his desk.
His posts followed Ivanka's late Tuesday Tweet of the company's slogan, "If it's Goya, it has to be good," in both Spanish and English, along with a photo of her holding a can of Goya black beans.
But her comments could violate government ethics rules that prohibit the use of public office to endorse products or advance personal business gains.
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
The hashtags #Goyaway and #BoycottGoya trended on Twitter after Robert Unanue, chief executive of the New Jersey-based company, appeared with Trump at the White House last week for the creation of an advisory panel on spurring Hispanic prosperity.
He said the country was "truly blessed" to have a leader like Trump.
The comment alienated many Goya consumers, who consider Trump racist against Hispanic people because of his immigration policies, his calling Mexicans "rapists" during his 2016 presidential campaign, and his reportedly calling El Salvador a "shithole country" at a 2018 White House meeting. Goya is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S.
