MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Who owns Goya Foods? Trump's ‘tuna’ endorsement for CEO Robert Unanue sparks fury: ‘This is so very stupid’

'They go out and buy cans of tuna fish... Goya, I hope Goya. He’s great. Good guy. They go out and buy Goya,' Trump said at his grand rally in Pennsylvania

President Donald Trump never fails to surprise and incite Americans with his statements. Something similar happened at his grand rally in Pennsylvania on September 22, 2020, where the crowd turned up in huge numbers. Mocking public health measures that Democratic governors have implemented to try to slow the spread of coronavirus, he said, “You can't give your wife a kiss goodnight. You have to wear a mask.”

Soon after, he turned to the protests and mentioned how protesters are throwing Goya and Bumblebee cans, leaving many bewildered. It was ironic as Goya Foods owners have often supported Trump in the past. Many couldn't stop wondering: Was it an endorsement or a way to slam them? 

“They go out and buy cans of tuna fish... Goya, I hope Goya. He’s great. Good guy. They go out and buy Goya. Because they throw it. It's the perfect weight, tuna fish, they can really rip it, right? And that hits you. No, it's true. Bumble Bee brand tuna ... You can throw that sucker, you can put a curve on it,” Trump said. Journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted the clip from his rally and it soon garnered way too much attention on social media.

Twitter was flooded with tweets wondering why he blamed protesters for buying tuna cans and endorsed Goya at the same time. "Trump just accused protesters of buying cans of tuna or was it Goya to throw at people?" said The Daily Beast Editor Molly Jong-Fast. Another posted, "First Goya beans, now Bumblebee tuna. If a president is doing paid endorsements, you'd think he could aim higher."

Another tweet read: "Okay. Trump usually endorses My Pillow and Goya, because those CEO’s like him. Now he’s giving a shout out to Bumblebee Tuna because the protesters throw it?" Highlighting all the confusion and calling it all "so very stupid", one tweet said, "I'm confused. Is he selling or slamming Bumble Bee tuna? Does Goya even make tuna? Is there an actual guy NAMED Goya? Does HE eat tuna? Why tuna? Why not spaghettis? I dropped a can of Os on my toes & that REALLY HURT! Jussayin'. This is all so very stupid."

Who owns Goya Foods?

Dubbed as 'the largest US Hispanic-owned food company', Goya Foods is now one of the leading sources for authentic Latin cuisine, according to Fox Business. founded in the early 1930s by Prudencio Unanue Ortiz (1886–1976) from Valle de Mena, Spain, the company rose to fame after he moved to New York with his wife Carolina Casal. At first, they started with a small shop named Unanue and Sons but soon purchased the name Goya and established the company. 

After his death in 1976, the company was handled by his sons, Joseph, Charles, Francisco and Anthony. After a family feud over the ownership, Robert Unanue took over the role of the chief executive in 2004. However, he helping the family business 43 years earlier as a child. Recently, the company was caught in a hubbub after the CEO's public declaration of support for President Donald Trump. Not just that, Ivanka Trump also did a full-fledged endorsement for the company on July 15. "If it’s Goya, it has to be good. Si es Goya, tiene que ser bueno," she wrote back then and was brutally slammed for posting it on social media. Not just that, there were calls for a complete boycott of Goya Foods products.

Robert Unanue and Donald Trump

Recently, Bob Unanue was present in a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month for the first White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative Foods along with Mario Rodriquez, chairman of Hispanic 100; and Steve Cortes, a nationally known broadcaster and senior adviser of the Trump 2020 Campaign. What's more, there was much outrage when Bob spoke at the Republican National Convention 2020 in favor of Trump. 

“We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder,” he said. “And that’s what my grandfather did: He came to this country to build, to grow, to prosper. And so we have an incredible builder, and we pray — we pray for our leadership, our president, and we pray for our country that we will continue to prosper and to grow.”

As per New York Post, calls for a boycott were heard as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued how Trump had been hostile to Latin American immigrants. Moreover, Unanue family members were stunned to know he considered an invitation to attend a political convention of any kind. “No one wants our company to be political,” one source told NY Post. “Most of the family believes this company is not supposed to be divisive or political,” the source added.

What is Unanue family's net worth?

With years of hard work and dedication, the Unanue family is now one of the wealthiest families in America — thanks to Goya Foods! As per Fox Business, they are ranked at #170 on Forbes' 2014 Richest Family Net Worth list. Moreover, the family is dubbed as the second wealthiest Spanish American family in the United States with a net worth of $1.1 billion.

As per the same report, the company brings in an estimated annual revenue of $1.5 billion with 4,000 employees. Now, with Trump's Goya Foods endorsement, will the company be boycotted for real? Well, only time will tell.