Univision CEO Defends Jorge Ramos After Tussle with Donald Trump

NEW YORK: Randy Falco, president and CEO of Univision Communications, has called out real-estate mogul and presidential candidate Donald Trump for ejecting nightly news anchor Jorge Ramos from a press conference earlier this week.

The executive claimed in a strongly worded statement that Trump’s behavior toward the journalist was “beneath contempt.” On Tuesday, the presidential contender briefly booted Ramos from a press conference in Iowa after the anchorman asked him questions about immigration. The two continued to spar once Ramos returned to the conference.

The full statement reads: “The recent treatment that Jorge Ramos received at Mr. Trump’s press conference in Iowa is beneath contempt. As a Presidential candidate, Mr. Trump is going to get tough questions from the press and has to answer them. Jorge Ramos is one the most professional, dedicated and respected journalists I have seen or worked with in my 40 years in media. He always asks hard questions of candidates and elected officials, regardless of party or issue. Mr. Trump demonstrated complete disregard for him and for the countless Hispanics whom Jorge seeks to represent through press questions that are at the heart of the First Amendment. I remain grateful for the first-rate journalistic work that Jorge and all of his news colleagues at Univision and Fusion do to bring all points of view to the 57 million Hispanics in this country.”