Politics

NBC drops Donald Trump over comments about immigrants

Now, he’s fired!

NBC gave Donald Trump the ax Monday over remarks he made about Mexican immigrants in his presidential campaign kickoff.

The network said it was ending its “business relationship’’ with the real estate magnate and reality TV star because he claimed Mexico is dumping the worst of its worst on the United States.

NBC also will no longer air the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, which were joint ventures between the network and The Donald.

Trump has already said he wouldn’t be able to continue hosting the network’s “Celebrity Apprentice” show because of his candidacy.

NBC said the show will continue, although it wasn’t clear who will take his place. A source told TMZ that network higher-ups were considering a minority host to replace Trump, “to make a powerful statement discrediting [his] campaign platform on immigration.’’

“At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values,’’ the network said in a statement.

“Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump.”

“To that end, the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants, which are part of a joint venture between NBC and Trump, will no longer air on NBC.

“In addition, as Mr. Trump has already indicated, he will not be participating in ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ on NBC. ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ is licensed from Mark Burnett’s United Artists Media Group and that relationship will continue.”

Trump created an uproar earlier this month when he said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Trump said Monday that he was just calling it like it is, and threatened to sue the network over its move.

“People are pouring across our borders unabated. Public reports routinely state great amounts of crime are being committed by illegal immigrants. This must be stopped, and it must be stopped now,’’ Trump defiantly said in a statement.

“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,” he said in a statement.

Trump also ripped the network over its demoted news anchor, Brian Williams.

“[NBC] will stand lying Brian Williams but won’t stand behind people that tell it like it is, as unpleasant as that may be,” Trump said.

The millionaire businessman told reporters earlier in the day that the network is just mad because “they didn’t want me to run because they wanted to do ‘The Apprentice.’”

The most recent edition of “Celebrity Apprentice” aired on NBC in February. The show began in 2004 as “The Apprentice,” a competition for aspiring moguls to win a shot at working for a Trump company. It yielded the catch phrase “You’re fired,” and was a ratings giant for several seasons.

But as ratings tailed off, the format shifted to focus on celebrity contestants. The last non-celebrity “Apprentice” aired in early 2008.

NBC’s move follows a decision by the Spanish-language network Univision last week to yank the pageants’ broadcast in protest of Trump’s remarks.