Ted Cruz ruthlessly mocked for getting worked up over pro-Trump beans boycott
Goya Foods has come under fire over comments the company’s CEO Robert Unanue made during an appearance in the White House Rose Garden earlier today. Unanue said that the United States is “truly blessed” to “have a leader like President Trump who is a builder.”
The CEO of @GoyaFoods is at a White House event saying we're
"blessed to have a leader" like Trump.Make your shopping decisions accordingly. pic.twitter.com/lLHSz4mEUV
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) July 9, 2020
The incredibly ignorant remarks sparked an overwhelming wave of criticism with many, including prominent Hispanic figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), calling for an immediate nationwide boycott of Goya products.
The outrage makes perfect sense. It’s inexcusable for the head of Goya—a company which ostensibly caters largely to Hispanic cuisine consumers—to voice support for a president who ran on explicit anti-Hispanic sentiments. Boycotting is a reasonable response from Americans who would rather their hard-earned dollars don’t end up in the coffers of a company that tacitly endorses bigotry.
Oh look, it’s the sound of me Googling “how to make your own Adobo” https://t.co/YOScAcyAnC
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 10, 2020
Predictably, the outrage merchants within the GOP are already stoking the flames of the culture war over the GOYA boycott. These issues are like red meat to Republicans because it allows them to assume the mantle of victimhood and distract from the reality that they’re offering zero material benefits to the American people.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was quick to jump into the fray and tweeted out that Goya is a “staple of Cuban food.” He claimed that his grandparents regularly ate Goya black beans for almost 90 years as if the consumption habits of his family have any bearing on what the rest of us think.
Absurdly, Cruz claimed that “the Left is trying to cancel Hispanic culture and silence free speech” before urging his followers to buy Goya products. The asinine tweet almost reads like satire of conservative outrage politics. Conflating Goya with all of Hispanic culture is a laughably inept attempt to cover up the fact when you get down to it Cruz is a grown man, a U.S. senator no less, whining about people not buying beans.
His second claim about silencing free speech is just as ridiculous. Choosing to buy something other than Goya doesn’t infringe on anyone’s First Amendment rights. Quite the opposite, since boycotting is a form of speech. It allows Americans to voice their opinions on companies like Goya by voting with their dollars.
Goya is a staple of Cuban food. My grandparents ate Goya black beans twice a day for nearly 90 years. And now the Left is trying to cancel Hispanic culture and silence free speech. #BuyGoya https://t.co/Mhb7inVKWl
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 10, 2020
As one might expect, Twitter users were quick to take Cruz to task for focusing on beans while our country is struggling to survive a global pandemic and faltering economy.
Houston hospitals are telling ambulances not to bring them emergency patients because they're full. https://t.co/H596G4tycV
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) July 10, 2020
Boycotts *are* free speech.
— Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) July 10, 2020
Ted defends GOYA but not his wife. pic.twitter.com/3qiWcZtg5Y
— Bruno Amato (@BrunoAmato_1) July 10, 2020
If you ask 1,000 Hispanic people to name something that represents Hispanic culture, I'm pretty sure Goya beans would not come up.
— Ron is Tired of the B.S. (@RonThayer3) July 10, 2020
Keep eating it then. Support a company that is antithetical to your families immigrant values. No Hispanic American would praise @POTUS after he demonized our race. You can, majority of Hispanics will not.
— Nas (@RealNas223) July 10, 2020
Goya CEO is absolutely allowed to support Trump but I am also allowed to NOT buy his products. That is freedom.
— Kristina Coen 👩🏫 (@houstoncoen) July 10, 2020
Boycotting a brand is not “cancelling Hispanic culture.” You know better.
— Jack Cunty (@JackCunty) July 10, 2020
Proving yet again not even Republican senators know what freedom of speech means.
— The Little Horn ⓥ (@TheLittleHorn2) July 10, 2020
Goya Foods was founded in 1936. If your grandparents ate Goya black beans twice a day for 90 years it would be the year 2026. Even more curious…your grandfather, Rafael Cruz is 81 years old. He was eating food 9 years before he was born? Amazing!
— Rob Hart (@azld12liberal) July 10, 2020
Aren't you the same guy who called for a boycott of Nike and a boycott of Harley Davidson? Didn't Trump call for a boycotts of Macy's and Apple? You both felt Colin Kaepernick should lose his job for exercising free speech, right?
— Celeste Headlee (@CelesteHeadlee) July 10, 2020
All these maga maggots about to buy Goya. Knowing damn well the spiciest thing they can ever eat is wheat bread pic.twitter.com/3Vob8vDmZu
— The Mouse Slap✨ (@TheMouseSlap) July 10, 2020
"Ted" has literally tweeted more about canned food than Russian bounties on the heads of American soldiers.
— That's Mr. Bongos! (@mrbongostx) July 10, 2020
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