Miss Universe Organization co-owner and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was a no show at the Miss USA pageant in Baton Rouge, LA. on Sunday night. Trump cited campaign responsibilities as the reason for not attending but his absence was not too surprising after his controversial comments about Mexican illegal immigrants caused extreme backlash. His remarks forced NBC and Univision to cut ties with the mogul, and both networks refused to broadcast the show.
The beauty pageant was moved to Reelz network and found replacements for all the hosts and judges who pulled out of the competition due to Trump's remarks. The Miss USA show went on with Todd Newton and Alex Wehrley as hosts and lined up a judging panel of past pageant winners, reported Us Weekly. "I will not be able to attend the Miss USA pageant tomorrow night because I am campaigning in Phoenix," the "Celebrity Apprentice" host tweeted on Saturday, July 11. "Wishing all well!."
I will not be able to attend the Miss USA pageant tomorrow night because I am campaigning in Phoenix. Wishing all well!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2015
The pageant never addressed Trump's comments directly, but multiple contestants discussed themes of acceptance during the question and answer portion of the pageant. Miss Oklahoma, Olivia Jordan, was asked about the next major issue tht the country needed to tackle on a national level, she spoke about race relations, replying, "We need to work on being an accepting society and ensure that every single person – no matter race or gender – has the same rights and privileges and opportunities."
