Kayleigh McEnany: 'Shameful' left 'cancels' anyone who associates with Trump
Kayleigh McEnany weighs in on criticism of Goya CEO Bob Unanue after praising President Trump
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called the backlash over Goya CEO Robert Unanue’s praise of President Trump at a White House event last week “unfortunate,” adding that “this is the kind of basket of deplorable politics that the left routinely engages in.”
“They will shame anyone who associates with this administration, but the silent majority stand strong and it's shameful what they did to Bob,” McEnany told “Fox & Friends” on Monday.
Many people, including progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., expressed displeasure with Unanue and called for a boycott after he spoke at a Hispanic Prosperity Initiative at the White House on Thursday and said Americans were "truly blessed" to have Trump as a leader. Others flipped the narrative and called for a Goya Foods "buy-cott."
Unanue, head of the New Jersey-based company, said Friday the boycott is "a reflection of a division that exists today in our country" that is "killing our nation."
“We're with the president. We're with this country— right, left, center, up and down," Unanue told Fox Business’ “Varney & Co.”
Goya Foods claims to be the largest Hispanic-owned food label in the country.
“Bob is the absolute embodiment of the American dream and a great man and it's very shameful what the left does,” McEnany said on Monday.
GOYA FOODS SLAMMED BY AOC, CELEBRITIES AFTER CEO PRAISES TRUMP
“This is cancel culture. If you associate with this president, if you associate with the Republican Party, we've got to cancel you out of this society, deride you, demonize you in a very personal way,” she continued, characterizing how the left treats Trump supporters.
Unanue called the backlash over his remarks “oppression of speech.”
“In 2012, eight years ago, I was called by Michelle Obama … who wanted to approach the African American community, the Hispanic community to eat more nutritionally,” he said on Friday. Unanue went on to say that he went to the White House and introduced President Obama during an event for Hispanic Heritage Month.
“And so you're allowed to talk good or to praise one president, but … when I was called to be part of this commission to aid in economic educational prosperity and you make a positive comment, all of a sudden that's not acceptable.”
He went on to say that he is “not apologizing for saying” what he said on Thursday.
“If you're called by the president of the United States you're going to say, ‘No, I'm sorry, I'm busy, no thank you.’ I didn't say that to the Obamas and I didn't say that to President Trump,” Unanue pointed out.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The controversy has inspired some Goya Foods fans to give back. Virginia resident Casey Harper started a GoFundMe page on Saturday to buy Goya products to donate to food pantries. The page is already more than six times its $10,000 goal.
Fox News’ Evie Fordham contributed to this report.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox