DELMARVA - Locals are reacting to the controversy over President Donald Trump's support for a company that makes products widely used by the Hispanic community, both on Delmarva and around the country.
The president of Goya foods recently made positive comments about the president, which led to calls for a boycott and even ethics charges. "We're all truly blessed, at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder, and that's what my grandfather did," said the president of Goya, Robert Unanue. Some local Hispanics feel that Trump has dehumanized and attacked immigrants. They feel that Unanue’s alliance with Trump is insulting and will boycott Goya. "No...I won’t buy these products anymore, it's not right that we’re not getting the support we need, especially during these times," said a local shopper at Gigante International Food Market in Milford, Del. But others say Goya products are all they know. "I still use it because everything that is Goya is good...it’s what I’ve always used so I know this product is good," said another shopper in Milford. Many took their frustrations to social media with trending hashtags #boycottgoya, #goyaway, and mocking the Goya slogan, changing it to, "If it's Trump, it has to be corrupt."
However, Trump seems to be a loyal supporter of Goya. He shared a photo of of the company's products and tweeted:
A Washington-based group has now filed an ethics complaint against Ivanka Trump for this photo she tweeted of her holding a Goya product:
Executive branch employees cannot use their positions to promote products. The law states that an employee "Shall not use his public office for his own private benefit, for the promotion of any product, service, or enterprise."
Reaction on social media was mixed, with one commenter on the Telemundo Delmarva Facebook page writing in Spanish, "No, why support a company that supports Trump?" Another translated comment read, "In this country, we have freedom of expression. I don’t support Trump, but if another Hispanic supports him, I respect them….we have to all be mature."
We spoke to a local store owner of La Mixtequita in Salisbury who says he has not been seeing many sales of Goya products.