It is always a strange moment to see a world leader in a set-up reminiscent of a brand endorsement photo-shoot. And when that person is the 'leader of the free world' and in-charge of handling a global pandemic that has affected around 3.4 million people in his country -- well, then you have the recipe for massive outrage.
President Donald Trump has recently taken it upon himself to lavish praise on Goya Foods. It began with a tweet that read simply, "I love @GoyaFoods". And while this was a tad strange, it then began to escalate further.
Trump's Instagram page now bears a photo of him sitting in what seems to be his office, grinning at the camera with an array of cans in front of him. Each of these products bear the Goya label, and he appears to be giving them two thumbs up. This was posted less than a day earlier.
He is not alone.
Another member of the Trump family, Ivanka had also posted a photo of herself posing with a Goya Food product. "If it's Goya, it has to be good," she wrote. This too was posted on Wednesday.
Now, the timing of the posts, coming as it does while the president and his team is supposed to be busy in their efforts to combat the deadly COVID-19 virus, has irked many, but this is not the only issue that people have.
Firstly, both the POTUS and his advisor use their personal Twitter accounts for communicating about official business at times. The blending of opinionated personal posts about a brand have struck some as being "unethical".
Another point to note is the timing of the posts. While the Hispanic-owned company is popular with many, less than a week ago company CEO Robert Unanue had lavished praise on Trump for his leadership. More specifically, he had said that "we’re so blessed to have you as our leader" as efforts are made to make America "the most prosperous nation in the world".
But with many not in agreement with him, 'BoycottGoya' began trending on Twitter. It is not only on social media that the President is facing backlash for his endorsement of the company. Many news channels have also weighed in on the same.
"On your dime, in the middle of a pandemic, they're selling beans," said an outraged Andrew Cuomo of CNN on live TV.
Take a look at some of the posts on the topic:
