Twitter users are calling for a boycott of Goya Foods, a brand most known for its Hispanic-staple food offerings, after the CEO of the company lavished praise on President Trump during a Thursday visit to the White House.

Robert Unanue, chief executive of the family-owned operation since 2004, said that the country was "blessed" to have Trump at the helm, during remarks following a roundtable with Hispanic business and political leaders from across the country.

"We're all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder," Unanue said during the Rose Garden speech.

"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."

Unanue also announced a plan, along with some partners, to donate 1 million cans of Goya chickpeas and 1 million pounds of food to food banks.

Trump has maintained a tenuous relationship with much of the Hispanic community since his first campaign speech for the presidency, in which he described Mexican immigrants as "rapists" and "criminals."

Unanue, a third-generation Spanish American, enraged many with his remarks, including some high-profile Democrats, who also signaled that they would no longer support Goya's products.

"Oh look, it's the sound of me Googling 'how to make your own Adobo,'" Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a tweet on Thursday evening, referencing the popular seasoning.

Julián Castro, a fellow Democrat, also said Americans should "think twice" before buying Goya products:

By Thursday evening, "Goya," #BoycottGoya, and #Goyaway were trending topics on Twitter.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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