Univision anchor Jorge Ramos slammed businessman Donald Trump Wednesday for ejecting him from a news conference when Ramos tried to ask Trump about his immigration proposals.
“He tried to silence me, and in this country you cannot do that,” Ramos told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. “I'm a U.S. citizen, I'm an immigrant, I'm a reporter, and I have the right in this country to ask any question I want to whomever I want.”
Ramos, who is a well-respected anchor for the country’s largest Spanish-language TV network, denounced Trump for resorting to extreme, dictator-like measures on Tuesday in an attempt to avoid answering Ramos’ questions.
“His ideas are extreme when it comes to immigration and when it comes to freedom of the press. I’ve been in journalism for 30 years and never been ejected from a news conference. Those are things you see in dictatorships, not in America,” he said. “It's important that he answer the question. He hasn't answered the question on how is he going to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants from the country? Can you imagine? It will require the Army. Is he going to put thousands of immigrants in stadiums and use buses and airplanes to deport them?”
Trump eventually let Ramos back into the press conference, but continued to dodge his questions. The real estate mogul and reality television star has repeatedly made bold claims on the issue of illegal immigration, but refuses to provide any specific policy proposals, instead claiming that he will hire “great people” to develop immigration policy for him and that “it’s called management.”
Trump's removal of Ramos might have been influenced by his bad blood with Ramos’ network, Univision. In June, the network ended its contract to air the Miss USA pageant, which Trump co-owns. In response, he sued for $500 million.
Trump seems to go after any journalist with whom he disagrees, like Kelly, who has also been a target of his attacks. As moderator of the first GOP debate earlier this month, she asked him questions about his history of misogyny, to which Trump took offense. Since then, Trump has relentlessly attacked Kelly, most notably claiming that she asked him pointed questions because she was on her period.
Ramos told Kelly on Wednesday that journalists like them must continue to press Trump.
“It doesn't matter if he doesn't like it. There are questions that need to be answered, and the problem is he's not used to being questioned. He doesn't like uncomfortable questions,” Ramos said. “It happened with you, with your colleagues at Fox News. He hates it when he's being confronted.”
“We have to ask those questions, I think, as journalists. With all due respect, I think we have to take a stand when it comes to racism, discrimination, corruption, public life, dictatorships and human rights. When he's speaking -- when he's expressing those really dangerous words, we have to confront him. That's our job, to ask tough questions even if he doesn't like them.”