Ivanka Trump is taking fire after she posted on her social media accounts a photo of herself endorsing a brand of canned beans amidst the call to boycott the brand's products. Donald Trump's daughter has been accused of using her position in a government office for personal gain.
On Tuesday night, Ivanka shared her photo holding a can of Goya Foods black beans. She also wrote the slogan of the company, "If it's Goya, it has to be good," in both Spanish and English, suggesting an endorsement to her 9.1 million followers on Twitter.
The tweet was quickly flooded with comments criticizing Ivanka. Many pointed out that she should have known that, as a senior adviser to the president, she is forbidden to endorse any product as it is a violation of federal ethics law. Others cited the Hatch Act, which forbids public officials from using their public office or title "for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise."
Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez retweeted Ivanka's photo but with a different Spanish caption. AOC wrote "Si es Trump, Tiene que ser corrupto," which means "If it's Trump, it has to be corrupt" in English.
Even Jedediah Bila, a host of Fox News show Fox & Friends, called out Ivanka Trump for her action. She tweeted that it doesn't matter if the former model hates or loves the product. Bila argued that no official from the administration should be doing product promotion.
Ivanka's endorsement of the company's product came after Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue appeared at a White House event last week featuring business leaders. In his remarks, he called Donald Trump an "incredible builder" and said America is "blessed" to have him as president.
Following Unanue's praises to Trump, consumers of the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S. vowed to boycott its products. The hashtags #Goyaway and #BoycottGoya trended on Twitter. The pressure on boycotting Goya Foods products intensified after Ivanka's tweet.
The father and daughter tandem doesn't seem to have shaken with the backlash. Trump tweeted that the efforts to smear the company's reputation backfired as he claimed people buying Goya Foods products "like crazy." He also posted a photo of himself at the Oval Office with a row of Goya products lined up on the Resolute desk and flashing a thumbs-up sign.
White House spokesperson Carolina Hurley, on the other hand, said Ivanka is proud of the Hispanic-owned business with deep roots in the US. She added that the president's daughter has the right to express her personal support.
