Goya CEO tells CPAC Trump is 'the real, the legitimate, and still the actual president.' Now his company faces renewed calls for boycott.
Goya Foods' pro-Trump CEO, Robert Unanue, is no stranger to controversy over his political views.
In January, the board of the Hispanic foods company voted to censure Unanue, a longtime, vocal advocate for former President Donald Trump, over controversial remarks he made following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election.
Last summer, Goya faced calls for a boycott after Unanue praised Trump during a Rose Garden roundtable discussion among Hispanic leaders.
So it likely came as no surprise that, as the Washington Post reported, anti-Trump forces are again calling for a Goya boycott following Unanue's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend.
What did Unanue say now?
The businessman took the CPAC stage Sunday to again align himself with President Trump's and his supporters' ongoing allegations that the 2020 election was stolen through massive voter fraud.
Shortly after being introduced, Unanue thanked the crowd and told the audience it was an honor just to be on the same stage the former president would be using later that day for a massive keynote speech, calling the Trump the "real" and "legitimate" president.
"It's just an honor to be here. But my biggest honor today is gonna be that ― I think we're gonna be on the same stage ― as, in my opinion, the real, the legitimate, and the still-actual president of the United States, Donald J. Trump," Unanue said to the CPAC crowd that responded with a roar of applause.
Knowing the blowback he would receive for such a statement, Unanue immediately followed that with a dig at the Twitterverse, which was bound to attack him for his statement, considering what critics on social media did in January when they pressured Goya's board to punish him for his political views.
"Sorry, Twitter. I've already been canceled," he said. "You can't do it again."
Unanue went on to say that conservatives "still have faith that the majority of the people of the United States voted for" Trump and followed that with accusations that the Senate runoff elections in Georgia were "not legitimate."
🔴 President Donald Trump LIVE at CPAC 2021 Final Day COMPLETE LIVE Coverage from Orlando youtu.be
The CEO's statements, of course, riled up the left, reigniting their zeal to boycott Goya over his allegations.
For example, the Post noted, "The View" cohost Joy Behar tweeted, "No more chick peas from Goya for me," in response to a story on Unanue's speech.
No more chick peas from Goya for me. https://t.co/GCdsGSG6sE— Joy Behar (@Joy Behar)1614545861.0
Former CNN host Soledad O'Brien said, "Folks at Goya should be embarrassed by their CEO."
Folks at Goya should be embarrassed by their CEO https://t.co/HJIH74mhR1— Soledad O'Brien (@Soledad O'Brien)1614564454.0
Both Newsweek and the Huffington Post reported that they pressed Goya for a response on Unanue's remarks and whether he had been given permission to speak. Goya Foods did not respond.
GOYA Employee of the Month: AOC | 12/8/20