Network severs ties
Cuts all ties after remarks
Univision won’t air pageants affiliated with Donald Trump after his comments about Mexican immigrants.
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s fledgling GOP presidential bid quickly led to business fallout for him, with Univision saying it will drop the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and cut all ties with Trump over comments on Mexican immigrants.
The company said Thursday it was canceling its Spanish-language coverage of the Miss USA pageant July 12. It also will ax its planned coverage of the Miss Universe pageant next January and is severing its business relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, which produces both pageants, because of what it called “insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants” by Trump, a part owner of Miss Universe.
During his presidential campaign kickoff speech last week, Trump portrayed immigrants from Mexico as “bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume, are good people.” He also called for building a wall along the southern border of the U.S. The remarks drew condemnation from the Mexican government as “biased and absurd.”
NBC remained silent about its scheduled coverage of the Miss USA pageant, which has aired on the network since 2003. But it sought to distance itself from Trump’s remarks.
“Donald Trump’s opinions do not represent those of NBC, and we do not agree with his positions on a number of issues, including his recent comments on immigration,” NBC said in a statement. Trump has long been featured on another NBC program, “Celebrity Apprentice,” which is currently on hiatus.
Trump said Thursday his criticism was directed against U.S. policymakers, not the Mexican people or government, adding that Univision would be defaulting on its contract if it doesn’t air the pageant. He pledged to take legal action.