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Beverly Hills, California, United States
Eli Kantor is a labor, employment and immigration law attorney. He has been practicing labor, employment and immigration law for more than 36 years. He has been featured in articles about labor, employment and immigration law in the L.A. Times, Business Week.com and Daily Variety. He is a regular columnist for the Daily Journal. Telephone (310)274-8216; eli@elikantorlaw.com. For more information, visit beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com and and beverlyhillsemploymentlaw.com

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Friday, July 10, 2015

Denounced, Bothered, and Bewildered: The People and Companies Who’ve Abandoned Donald Trump

National Journal
By Nora Kelly
July 9, 2015

Washington top chef José Andrés wants nothing to do with Donald Trump—and he is not alone.

Trump's been facing some major tongue-lashing from brands and individuals alike for racist, anti-immigrant remarks he made during his campaign kickoff speech last month—and for doubling down on those comments in recent interviews and on his colorful Twitter account.

At his announcement speech, Trump said: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. … They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

Despite his persistent self-defense, The Donald himself has admitted that he "didn't know" the backlash "was going to be quite this severe."

Here's a roundup of just how severe it's gotten. We'll keep this updated as time goes on. When a former Dancing with the Stars performer has publicly rejected you, you know you've got a public-image problem.

UNIVISION

The mega network got the brand-alienation ball rolling: Nine days after Trump's presidential announcement, the Spanish-language company said it would no longer air Sunday's Miss USA pageant, which is part of the Trump-co-owned Miss Universe Organization. Officials cited his "insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants" and said it would have no part in "working on any other projects tied to the Trump Organization" going forward. Trump's now suing Univision for $500 million, for defamation and breach of contract.

TOP CHEFS

Andrés said Tuesday that he won't open his Spanish restaurant in Trump's under-construction Pennsylvania Avenue hotel. On Thursday, fellow culinary maven Geoffrey Zakarian said he'll forgo plans for his own restaurant in the Old Post Office Pavilion.

THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

Five years ago, an air-traffic controller with an affection for The Apprentice paid homage to The Donald. He named three navigation coordination points above Palm Beach International Airport TRMMP, DONLD, and UFIRD. On Wednesday, an FAA spokeswoman said the three points would be renamed. "In general, the FAA chooses names that are noncontroversial," she told The New York Times.

MACY'S

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A purveyor of the Donald J. Trump menswear brand since 2004, the department store announced on July 1 that it had terminated its ties with Trump. In a statement, the company said it was "disappointed and distressed by recent remarks about immigrants from Mexico" which were "inconsistent with Macy's values." A week after their announcement, Trump was on Twitter saying "thousands" of his supporters have destroyed their Macy's credit cards. Taking his signature hyperbole into account, does "thousands" translate to dozens? Handfuls?

NBC-UNIVERSAL

NBC, the TV network that's played host to Trump's Apprentice shows for years, ended its business relationship with the magnate on June 29. Trump's comments, the company's statement suggested, didn't align with NBC's values. So much for the TV ratings bump Trump might've been looking for out of this presidential run.

BEAUTY-PAGEANT CONTESTANTS

They want world peace. Mr. Trump's remarks may not be advancing that goal.

Really, it's notable how pageant-focused the Trump backlash has been: The current Miss Universe is on the outs with Trump. And two hosts for the upcoming Miss USA pageant—former Dancing With the Stars dancer Cheryl Burke and MSNBC's Thomas Roberts—pulled out of their duties on June 30. Days earlier, their Spanish-language simulcast counterparts Roselyn Sanchez and Cristian de la Fuente had done the same.

THE NATION OF MEXICO

Stores are building piñatas in Trump's image for locals to beat up at parties. And following in the footsteps of Univision and NBC, Mexico's largest TV company and another owned by the nation's wealthiest man denounced Trump, too, late last month.

THE PGA AND ESPN

On Tuesday, Trump and the PGA "mutually agreed that it is in the best interest of all" to no longer hold the 2015 PGA Grand Slam tournament at Trump's Pacific Ocean-side course in Los Angeles. The association didn't cite Trump's immigrant comments in its statement about the change. But Trump referenced his own remarks in a statement after the move was announced, saying he doesn't want the PGA to face blowback for his comments.

The same day, ESPN pulled its mid-July ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic from another of Trump's California courses—citing the organization's "support for inclusion of all sports fans."

NASCAR

As of July 3, NASCAR is relocating two awards banquets that were slated to be held at Trump National Doral Miami resort. At least one major sponsor lobbied NASCAR to move the event. But Trump was unfazed at the news: "I will keep their very substantial deposit and rent the ballroom to someone else that night." In the same statement, he addressed the ESPN cancellation with a similar profit-focused approach: He's keeping their big deposit, too, and will get "substantial additional greens fee income" from the regular golfers who'll play that day. "Again, I get two fees instead of one."

SERTA

Who knew Trump had a mattress brand? For those who did: Serta doesn't agree with his immigrant comments and doesn't want to sell Trump Home mattresses anymore. The company is "in the process of unwinding our relationship."

PARLUX FRAGRANCES


Four months after launching a personal fragrance collection with Trump, the company told CNBC Thursday that it's "winding down its relationship" with him. In happier times, Parlux lauded Trump's brand: His "success continues to grow as most recently demonstrated by the consistent ratings climb by this season's Celebrity Apprentice on NBC." (Did he write that press release himself?) Sold at Macy's, Empire by Trump had "an undeniable warmth and charm with elements of amber and seductive musk," Parlux said upon the launch. No word on whether that musk will be available elsewhere anytime soon.

For more information, go to:  www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com

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