Univision’s chief defends Trump airing

TelevisaUnivision Chief Executive Wade Davis has responded internally to the backlash that has come from Univision’s recent interview with former President Donald Trump.

Davis sent out a memo to Univision staff Tuesday to clarify that he stands by the company’s decision to air the interview and to explain the network’s news strategy.

“There is now well-documented consensus among political analysts of both parties that the Hispanic vote may determine the Presidential election outcome,” Davis wrote in the memo, which was obtained by the Los Angeles Times. “Engaging with the entire Hispanic community in all spheres is the foundation of TelevisaUnivision's mission. … We deeply understand our community, and know Hispanics are diverse, dynamic and certainly not uniform in their political views.”

The executive said he has seen the network’s coverage labeled as “partisan.” Davis said Univision has remained “nonpartisan” and “objective” by welcoming a diversity of perspectives.

Davis addressed the Nov. 9 interview with Trump. In the hour-plus sitdown with the Republican presidential candidate front-runner, Enrique Acevedo —an anchor from Mexican network Televisa who is not a Univision journalist — gave little pushback on Trump’s statements about the border security and immigration policies he instituted as president.

“The interview with former President Trump was the first in 22 years of a current or former Republican president. There have been many interviews of a current or former Democratic president over that same period,” Davis wrote in defense of the decision to air the Trump interview.

León Krauze, a veteran news anchor for Univision, resigned from the network after the Trump interview. He did not provide a reason for his departure.