Miss America contestant criticises Trump as the ‘biggest issue facing our country today’
‘He has caused a lot of divide in our country’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A contestant in the Miss America pageant has described President Trump as the “biggest issue facing our country today”.
Madeline Collins made the critical comment onstage on Friday when she was asked to explain what she thought was the most pressing issue facing Americans right now as part of the competition.
“Unfortunately, he has caused a lot of divide in our country,” Collins can be heard saying in a video captured by local reporter Lauren Carroll, who was in the audience at the pageant.
“Until we can trust in him and the choices that he makes for our country, we cannot become united,” Collins concludes.
Carroll posted a clip of the interview on Twitter, which has since garnered more than 65,000 views and 890 likes.
Many people responded by commending Collins, who was representing West Virginia, for using her public platform to make such a bold statement at an event that doesn’t typically address political issues.
“Amazing! She has more courage than all of the Republican congressmen,” wrote one person.
“Thank you for standing up for your beliefs and not being afraid to express them,” commended another.
“The world needs more young people like you.”
Despite online acclaim, Collins did not make it through the interview round and onto the next stage, losing out to fellow contestant Gabriela Taveras (Miss Massachusetts), who was asked to explain how Americans should go about interacting with foreigners when travelling abroad.
According to the Boston Herald, Taveras responded by suggesting letting them know that: “We as Americans are supporting them and that we are there to help them."
Each contestant is given just 20 seconds to respond to questions asked in the interview round, which famously replaced the pageant’s controversial swimsuit competition.
When Miss America organisers announced the change in June, they described the interviews as an opportunity for contestants to highlight their achievements and illustrate how they would use their talents to “perform the job of Miss America” should they win.
The next Miss America will be revealed on Sunday 9 September in a live finale recorded in Atlantic City.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments