Trump hits back at Univision after network cuts Miss Universe ties

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is hitting back at Univision after the network decided not to air his Miss Universe pageants over remarks he made about Hispanic immigrants.

His campaign on Thursday accused the network of caving into pressure from Mexico.

“The Mexican government and others are putting tremendous pressure on Univision to break their signed and fully effective contract with the Miss Universe Organization,” Trump’s presidential campaign said in a statement.

{mosads}”[This is] because Mr. Trump has been exposing the public, and the world, the significant damage that is being done at the southern border, and the terrible and costly trade deals that the United States is incompetently making with Mexico,” it added. “These deals are great for Mexico and horrible for the United States.”

Univision Communications Inc. announced earlier Thursday that it will not telecast Trump’s annual Miss USA competition next month, according to Bloomberg.

The New York-based company said in a statement that it took issue with Trump’s comments about Mexico and immigration made during his formal 2016 campaign launch last week.

“At Univision, we see first-hand the work ethic, love for family, strong religious values and the important role Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans have had and will continue to have in building the future of our country,” Univision said on its website.

The channel will no longer cover the Miss USA pageant scheduled for July 12, it said.

It will also terminated its relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, it added, a group that Trump partly-owns, that produces the pageants.

During his presidential launch, Trump said that the “U.S. has become the dumping ground for everybody else’s problems.”

“They’re sending people who have lots of problems,” he continued about illegal immigration. “They bring in drugs, they bring in crime, they’re rapists. I assume some are good people.”

Those remarks sparked criticism from Hispanic groups.

Trump on Thursday reiterated his stance on Mexico and its impact on the U.S.

“Mexican leadership has been doing serious damage to the United States by out-negotiating our representatives and political leaders,” he said in a statement.

“I have great respect for Mexico and love the Mexican people, but my loyalty is to the United States and making our country great again,” he added.

Trump also countered that Univision is contractually obligated to air his Miss USA and Miss Universe competitions in Mexico and South America.

He said that the arrangement was part of an “iron-clad,” five-year deal worth $13.5 million with no early outs.

“They have no termination rights whatsoever,” Trump said of Univision, according to Politico.

The New York business mogul also said his refusal to change his tone on immigration separates him from other 2016 GOP contenders.

“Anyone else would be subservient to that,” Trump said, calling out former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.).

“Bush would say, ‘I’m sorry, keep ripping us off,’” he added.

This story was updated at 1:05 p.m.