Neil Young wasn’t the only one upset by Donald Trump’s June 16 presidential campaign kick-off. Trump’s speech included remarks about Mexican immigration that Univision Communications Inc. did not appreciate. The multimedia company made its stance clear today by severing business ties with the Miss Universe Organization, of which Trump is a part-owner. A statement released today by Univision’s entertainment division announced the decision, making it clear that Trump’s comments were the cause. The most immediate effect is that the network will no longer air the Miss USA pageant, which is just over two weeks away.
Based on the content of his speech, Trump shouldn’t be surprised by the fallout. His comments were inflammatory, to say the least: “When Mexico sends its people … they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” And that was only part of what he had to say on the subject of Mexican immigration.
The Univision statement referred to his remarks as “insulting,” and highlighted “the important role Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans have had and will continue to have in building the future of our country.”
Trump, however, did not exactly see their point. Instead, he tweeted:
Univision wants to back out of signed @MissUniverse contract because I exposed the terrible trade deals that the U.S. makes with Mexico.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2015
Artist J Balvin, on the other hand, did understand Univision’s perspective. The Colombian musician had been slated to perform during the Miss USA pageant, but he pulled out, citing “social responsibility.” He told Billboard, “It was going to be my first performance on national [mainstream] television … But we’re talking about our roots, our culture, our values.”
Trump’s now non-existent working relationship with Univision won’t affect election coverage. Univision offered assurances that it “will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of all candidates, including Mr. Trump, to ensure our audience continues to have access to all points of view.”
