Man raises over $100K to purchase and donate Goya products after calls for boycott
A Virginia man has raised more than $100,000 to purchase Goya products and donate them to food pantries in support of President Trump after the brand, which claims to be the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the nation, faced calls for boycott over comments its chief executive made earlier this month praising the president.
The GoFundMe page, created by Casey Harper, a producer for conservative political commentator Eric Bolling, has raised more than $115,000 since it was first launched over the weekend. The page, which calls on patrons to “support Trump & feed the hungry,” initially had a goal of $10,000.
“What if we rise up to say no to cancel culture AND feed the hungry at the same time?” the page reads, while detailing some of the backlash Goya has faced over the past few days over comments CEO Robert Unanue recently made lauding Trump at a White House event earlier this month.
Unanue said the nation was “truly blessed” to have a leader like Trump, who he referred to as an “incredible builder.”
The comments by Unanue immediately prompted hashtags like “#BoycottGoya” to trend across Twitter, with political figures like former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro calling on consumers to “think twice before buying their products.”
On his GoFundMe, Harper, who is a former employee of The Hill, writes, “Now GOYA is facing a boycott that could cost the CEO his job. The liberal mob is coming for anyone who disagrees. Cancel culture at its worst. We need to have our voice heard!”
The fundraiser’s overwhelming success comes as some conservatives have taken to Twitter in recent days to voice support for the brand and post photos of Goya products they’ve purchased.
As the company faced mixed reactions online over its executive officer’s praise of Trump, the president also entered the fray at one point, offering his own endorsement of the brand to his more than 83 million followers on Twitter.
“I LOVE @GoyaFoods!” Trump tweeted.
Unanue addressed some of the backlash in an interview with Fox News and said he would not apologize. He also called some of the criticism he received from figures like Castro, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other celebrities at the time “suppression of speech.”
In an interview with Fox News this week, Harper told the network that several donors are appreciative of his effort to “say no to cancel culture.”
“In a time where speaking your mind can cost you your job, or get you facing legal action because the corporate elite fear the mob just as much as anyone, the most important issue is to speak boldly at the risk of your own well-being,” he told the outlet.
“If enough people do that, lovers of free speech and limited government will win,” he added.
As for the money raised, Harper said in an update on fundraising page that he will be using some of the funds “to support local grocery stores” and also buy “directly from GOYA because of the unexpectedly large volume.”
“We expect to begin purchasing as soon as possible, and will have video and pictures of the process so everyone can see the results! Our purchase will focus on rice and canned goods and will be delivered to several food pantries in the Washington, DC area so they can handle the volume,” he added.
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