..As network dumps Miss USA Pageant , Donald Trump announces $500 million lawsuit against Univision

Donald Trump is going mano a mano with Univision.

The fire-breathing Republican presidential hopeful Tuesday filed a $500 million lawsuit against the Spanish-language network for breaking its contract to carry the Miss USA contest on July 12 - and blamed it on Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court say Clinton - not Trump's notorious tee-off on Mexico and its immigrants - is the reason Univision decided not to televise the pageant.

 

“The decision was, in reality, a thinly veiled attempt by Univision, a privately held company principally owned by longtime Clinton Foundation donor and current Hillary Clinton fundraiser Haim Saban, to suppress Mr. Trump's freedom of speech under the First Amendment as he begins to campaign for the nation's presidency and in recent weeks has dramatically risen in the polls while expressing critical views of Mrs. Clinton," Trump's suit said.

"Univision has no right to terminate its relationship with (Miss Universe LP) and refuse to broadcast the upcoming Miss USA pageant ... simply because it does not agree with Mr. Trump's longstanding views ... all of which are protected by the First Amendment and have been echoed by many in this country."

Trump raised eyebrows - and hackles - during his presidential kickoff speech by saying that Mexican immigrants are "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists," although presumably some of them are fine people.

In a release, Trump said his beliefs about immigration and lopsided trade deals were not new.

"These have long been my views and I have the courage, unlike many others, to express them," he said.

"As a consequence of their inappropriate actions, Univision and NBC have abandoned 51 wonderful young women who have come from all over the United States to pursue their dream of being crowned Miss USA," the candidate continued.

"I want to tell these contestants that the show will go on and I will be in Baton Rouge on July 12th to support them."

Univision said its decision to jettison coverage of the beauty contest was strictly based on Trump's foul remarks.

"We just reviewed Mr. Trump's complaint for the first time, and it is both factually false and legally ridiculous," the network said in a statement Tuesday.

"We will not only vigorously defend the case, but will continue to fight against Mr. Trump's ongoing efforts to run away from the derogatory comments he made on June 16th about Mexican immigrants. Our decision to end our business relationship with Mr. Trump was influenced solely by our responsibility to speak up for the community we serve."

Meanwhile, after NBC Universal, where Trump starred in the "Apprentice" and "Celebrity Apprentice," threw him overboard thanks to his comments, a Mexican billionaire ended a joint TV venture with Trump as well.

Ora TV, which is partly owned by moneyman Carlos Slim, joined the growing Dump Trump movement thanks to what a spokesman called the real estate mogul's "racist" comments.

Trump stood his ground on Twitter Tuesday.

"I love the Mexican people, but Mexico is not our friend," he tweeted. "They're killing us at the border and they're killing us on jobs and trade. FIGHT!"

Trump, according to the latest polls, has gained traction in New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first presidential primaries.

He's also incurred the wrath of Latino advocacy groups -- and hundreds of thousands of people who have signed online petitions pushing Macy's to drop its line of Trump-branded menswear.

Macy's reps didn't respond to requests for comment on Trump.

Deputy state Assembly Majority Leader Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood) and advocacy groups plan to gather in front of Macy's flagship store in Herald Square Wednesday afternoon to protest "against racist and anti-immigrant remarks made by Billionaire Trump and call on Macy's to stop selling Trump products and for Pageant sponsors to sever ties with Donald Trump."