Univision to Trump: "You're Fired!"

I promised "an entire post of recycled comments about Trump as Penguin for President" at the end of Trump combs in second in New Hampshire poll; hilarity ensues.  Those will have to wait, as Univision Dumps Miss USA Over Trump Comments.  Wotchit News reports.

A Univision network is dropping the Miss USA pageant and the company says it will cut all business ties with Donald Trump in a spiraling controversy over comments the Republican presidential candidate made recently about Mexican immigrants. Univision said Thursday it would pull the plug on its Spanish-language coverage of the pageant July 12 by its UniMas network. It also has severed its business relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, which produces the Miss USA pageant, due to what it called "insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants" by Trump, a part owner of Miss Universe.

Shorter Univision, "Trump, you're fired!"

That's not all, as Wotchit News also passed along NBC Mulls Whether to Air Miss USA Pageant.

A source tells The Hollywood Reporter that NBC is evaluating its commitment to the upcoming Miss USA pageant hours after Univision's decision to drop the program over comments made by Donald Trump. Preparation is already underway for the live event, which is set to broadcast from Baton Rouge, La., on July 12. NBC and Univision have aired the Miss USA pageant for the past 12 years. The Miss Universe Organization, which presents the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants, is a joint venture between Trump and NBCUniversal that dates back to 2002. NBCUniversal currently has a five-year, $13.5 million contract with Trump.

I doubt NBC will stop showing "Miss USA" but if they do, Trump might lose "Celebrity Apprentice," too.

Follow over the jump for Trump's response.

Donald Trump to sue Univision read the Politico headline.

Donald Trump intends to sue Univision for breach of contract and defamation after the media company announced it would renege on a five-year contract for broadcast rights to the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants, his lawyer said Thursday.

The announcement comes hours after Trump told the On Media blog that Univision was defaulting on an "iron-clad" $13.5 million contract, which he said it had no right to terminate.

"We intend to pursue all legal rights and remedies available to Mr. Trump pursuant to the terms of the license agreement as well as a defamation case against Univision," Michael Cohen, Trump's executive vice president and special counsel, said. "I am at this moment finalizing the retainer agreement with outside counsel."

Trump also doubled down on his anti-Mexican rhetoric in statements quoted by Politico's Trump, Univision at war over 'Miss Universe'.

As Trump sees it, Univision is capitulating to pressure "put on them by various sources in Mexico."

"The Mexican government is putting pressure on Univision to get me to stop exposing the weaknesses the U.S. has at the southern border," he said during the interview, citing his claims that U.S. leaders were "incompetent" on trade with Mexico, allowing the country to take advantage of the U.S., and that the southern border "is a sieve" that "illegals are pouring through."

"The government of Mexico and the lobbyists and the special interests have put tremendous pressure on Univision, a company that is very subservient to Mexico, to get Trump to stop exposing the terrible situation at the border and the terrible trade deals that are being made by the United States to the benefit of Mexico," he said. "I will not be party to that, because my love of the country is too great to allow this to happen."

I'll let another Batman villain react to that statement by Penguin for President.


In the meantime, pass the popcorn.