After Donald Trump called Mexican immigrants "rapists" and drug dealers and promised to build a wall on the US/Mexico border during his speech announcing his presidential run, the backlash continues. "The US has become a dumping ground for everybody else's problems," he said in the speech. "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best...they're sending people that have lots of problems...They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Despite Trump later saying, "I love Mexico," in a statement issued yesterday he stood by his original comments and added that “tremendous infectious disease is pouring across the border.”
In response to his remarks, numerous companies have cut business ties with Trump: Macy's decided to stop carrying his men's line of clothing and merchandise (some of which are made in Mexico); Univision, the nation's largest Spanish-language TV network, announced they were dropping plans to broadcast the Miss Universe Pageant, which Trump co-owns, while the scheduled co-hosts and performers also pulled out; NBCUniversal ended its business relationship with Trump and will not air the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants; Televisa, the world’s largest Spanish-language media company, severed commercial ties with Miss Universe and all other Trump-related companies; Ora TV, a production company co-founded by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and TV personality Larry King, cancelled a program it was working on with Trump's companies; and Serta mattresses announced they are cancelling their business relationship (a line of mattresses) with Trump.
In addition, PGA of America said they will not be holding this year’s Grand Slam of Golf on Trump's Los Angeles golf course, ESPN has moved their ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic from Trump National Golf Club, NASCAR is severing business ties and will not host their season-ending awards ceremony at the Trump National Doral Miami, and the City of New York is reviewing its business relationships with Trump-operated venues including Trump's golf course in the Bronx, home to one of the nation’s largest Hispanic communities.
Trump's fellow Republicans running for president have also (mostly) condemned his remarks, and the response in the Latino community has been swift and strong. Lisa Navarrete, a spokeswoman for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group, told the Guardian that Trump’s claims were "absurd" and said: “I’m hoping that the saner, more rational people in the Republican party can put a stop to this kind of thing, and say: ‘No, we’re going to be constructive, we’re not going to needlessly and consciously alienate the fastest-growing group of voters in this country.’” What do Mexicans think of his comments? Well, Donald Trump piñatas are very popular right now.