Trump campaign appoints beauty queen who was ‘stripped of title over offensive tweets about Muslims and black people’
‘Did you know that the majority of black deaths are caused by other blacks?’ Kathy Zhu wrote
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Your support makes all the difference.A student who lost her beauty queen title over tweets about Muslims and black people is joining a Trump campaign advisory board.
Kathy Zhu said she was crowned Miss Michigan but lost her title after organisers discovered her tweets.
“It has been brought to the attention of Miss World America (MWA) that your social media accounts contain offensive, insensitive and inappropriate content,” MWA appears to have said, in an email Ms Zhu posted online.
The organisation stated the removal of the title would be enforced “effective immediately”, adding that the Republican supporter must remove any reference to herself being a MWA participant on all social media platforms.
But the 20-year-old has now been appointed to a Trump campaign advisory board, despite the controversy.
“I am so excited to now be part of the Women For Trump Coalition Advisory Board!” Ms Zhu said on Friday.
“Let’s get Trump re-elected for 2020!”
The official Trump campaign Twitter account described the University of Michigan student as “a patriot who has continued to stand for American values despite being stripped of her crown”.
“Thank you for your support of President Trump,” the account added.
Ms Zhu’s controversial tweets have now been deleted.
According to screenshots obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, the student had encountered and taken umbrage at a “try a hijab” booth at her university campus.
“So you’re telling me that it’s now just a fashion accessory and not a religious thing?” she wrote. “Or are you just trying to get women used to being oppressed under Islam?”
In a second post, the student replied to a tweet about police violence against the African American community.
“Did you know that the majority of black deaths are caused by other blacks? Fix problems within your own community first before blaming others,” she wrote.
In a statement earlier sent to The Independent the 20-year-old said: “I stand by each and every one of my tweets on my account.”
She added that in her opinion, “Coming out as a conservative is way harder than coming out as gay in today’s society.”
In 2016, Ms Zhu starred in a YouTube video with TV network Fusion titled: “Why this 18-year-old is voting for Donald Trump.”
While several social media users have expressed messages of support towards her, others have condemned the student over her comments.
“Don’t get it twisted – Kathy Zhu was stripped of her title for disgusting tweets. Tweets that were racist. Not because she is a conservative,” one Twitter user wrote.
The Independent has contacted Miss World America for comment.
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