Ever since Donald Trump’s official presidential campaign announcement on June 16, when the Republican real estate developer and reality star called Mexicans crossing the border into the US “rapists” and criminals, companies and people involved with his enterprises have been rapidly backing away.
Here’s a who’s who of The Donald’s recent detractors:
First came Univision
Soon after the popular Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos challenged Trump to run his business without Mexicans for a day, the largest Spanish-speaking network in the US quickly cut ties with Trump’s co-owned Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants, which they had previously agreed to broadcast.
In classic style, Trump responded by suing the company for a whopping $500 million in an announcement posted to his official Instagram that lambasted Univision’s decision as a “politically motivated attempt to suppress Mr. Trump’s freedom of speech under the first amendment.”
Miss USA’s stars were quick to follow
Several key figures in the Miss USA pageant, including its host, Cristian De La Fuente, who called Trump “a clown,” stepped down from hosting the show. Other judges and musical guests slotted for the show backed out, including performer Flo Rida and former NFL star Emmitt Smith.
NBC cancels Trump
In possibly the biggest blow to the Trump brand, NBC Universal parted ways with Trump, announcing that they would no longer air Miss USA and Miss Universe and that Trump would not be participating in his original TV show “The Apprentice” next season.
A Chicago beer maker cuts him off
Trump couldn’t even pour himself a drink before he heard the next piece of bad news: 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, a local microbrewery in Chicago, decided to stop serving its alcohol in Chicago’s Trump Towers, with the owner saying that he would be doing “an injustice to the community we serve” if the company was to continue doing business with him.
Macy’s says Trump no longer makes the cut
The following day, the department store giant Macy’s announced that it would “phase out” Trump’s clothing line, which it had been selling since 2004, following a petition drive urging the store to dump Trump (who seems to manufacture at least some of his suits in Mexico).
“Clearly, NBC and Macy’s support illegal immigration, which is totally detrimental to the fabric of our once great country,” Trump shot back.
New York City questions its ties
New York City mayor Bill De Blasio said his office was investigating Trump’s housing contracts in the city. “We are reviewing Trump contracts with the City,” De Blasio said in a statement to PIX11. ” Donald Trump’s remarks were disgusting and offensive, and this hateful language has no place in our city.”
Others join the exodus
Other companies to dump Trump include: a Mexican TV network, a Costa Rican TV network, the production studio ORA TV (controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim), and a mattress company that made “Trump Home” mattresses (who knew?).
Some Trump fans stand by their man
But not all the news was bad for The Donald. The network Reelz has picked up Trump’s orphaned Miss USA pageant, TMZ reported, and its CEO reportedly said that, “as one of only a few independent networks, we decided to exercise our own voice and committed ourselves to bringing this pageant to American viewers everywhere.”
Meanwhile, Trump has been polling incredibly well with Republican primary voters. Yesterday, a new CNN poll announced that, with remarkable support from elderly and conservative Americans, Trump had stormed into second place in the Republican primary race.