In a press release on Monday, NBC said it was severing business ties with the real-estate mogul and GOP presidential candidate Trump because of statements in which he called Mexican immigrants rapists and drug runners.

"Due to recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its relationship with Mr. Trump," NBC said in the statement.

NBC said it was dropping Trump's Miss USA and Miss Universe beauty pageants, and it indicated that Trump would no longer host "The Apprentice."

The decision comes after Trump doubled down on statements from his presidential announcement speech in which he described Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug runners.