NBC Cuts Ties With Trump Over Immigration Remarks

NBCUniversal announced this week that they were severing business ties with Donald Trump due to the mogul’s remarks on illegal immigration. After announcing that he was running for the GOP presidential nomination, Trump made several statements expressing his outrage over the situation at the Mexican border.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he said. “They’re not sending you. 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 the fact that it takes a stretch of the imagination to see any racism in Trump’s statement, NBC was eager to put distance between themselves and controversy. They released a statement on Monday confirming the end of the business relationship.

“At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values. Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump.”

The network’s relationship with Trump includes his Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants as well as his hosting contract for Celebrity Apprentice. NBC has indicated that they may continue the latter with a different host and setting, though nothing is set in stone.

Trump blew off the statement in the immediate aftermath, spinning it to make it sound as though it were his decision to sever ties. That was followed later in the day with a written statement with much harsher language: “If NBC is so weak and so foolish to not understand the serious illegal immigration problem in the United States, coupled with the horrendous and unfair trade deals we are making with Mexico, then their contract violating closure of Miss Universe/Miss USA will be determined in court.”

An Unexpected Development

Heretofore, the media has treated Trump’s announcement as a joke. In the end, though, the joke may be on those who don’t take the real estate baron seriously. Plain spoken and relentlessly blunt, Trump has awakened excitement in conservatives who haven’t seen much of interest in the extraordinarily large field of contenders. This has some in the Republican leadership worried. Is it even in the realm of possibility that Trump could actually emerge victorious?

Stranger things have happened. While his nomination would prove to be one of the most shocking political developments in a long time, it’s not impossible. Trump surged in the polls following his announcement, trailing only Jeb Bush in some surveys. Even if he doesn’t have a real shot at victory, his presence in the campaign could prove to be an interesting one. Here is a guy who seems to have no fear whatsoever when it comes to expressing his views. When compared to the careful, polished platforms of Bush, many conservatives see Trump as a breath of fresh air.

It’s a long shot, but it could happen.