Univision President Randy Falco came strongly to the defense of veteran Univision journalist Jorge Ramos, saying his treatment by presidential candidate Donald Trump was "beneath contempt."
Ramos was escorted out of the room by security during a Donald Trump press conference in Dubuque, Iowa, Tuesday night after he peppered the GOP front-running candidate with questions/statements about immigration and refused to stop asking them when Trump repeatedly pointed out he had not called on him. "Go back to Univision," Trump said dismissively.
Trump later defended the treatment, saying Ramos had been "ranting and raving like a mad man." who was ousted initially from a Donald Trump press conference for pressing the candidate on his immigration policy without first being called on.
"The recent treatment that Jorge Ramos received at Mr. Trump's press conference in Iowa is beneath contempt," Falco said. "As a presidential candidate, Mr. Trump is going to get tough questions from the press and has to answer them."
Trump has already hammered Fox anchor Megyn Kelly over what he has said were disproportionately tough questions during the first Republican presidential debate.
"Jorge Ramos is one the most professional, dedicated and respected journalists I have seen or worked with in my 40 years in media," Falco continued "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."
