It's 2017, and in the world of Trump, everything is political. That even includes the Miss America pageant, which is normally marked by wishy-washy responses to judges' questions to make sure nobody is offended. That was clearly off the table this year. Miss Texas Margana Wood didn't win the crown, but she did have one of the most memorable moments of the night when she tore into President Trump's response to white supremacist violence.
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Jess Cagle, editorial director of People and Entertainment Weekly, asked Wood to comment on President Trump's remarks after the violence in Charlottesville (opens in new tab). "Last month, a demonstration of neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and the KKK in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent and a counter-protester was killed. The president said there was shared blame with 'very fine people' on both sides. Were there? Tell me yes or no and explain."
Wood didn't mince words. "I think that the white supremacist issue, it was very obvious that it was a terrorist attack. And I think that President Donald Trump should have made a statement earlier addressing the fact, and making sure all Americans feel safe in this country," she told the judge. "That is the number-one issue right now."
Miss Texas was asked if Trump handled Charlottesville badly. She, uh ... didn't play. 🇺🇸 #MissAmerica pic.twitter.com/5JMT4tBpeLSeptember 11, 2017
Cagle approved, posting on Instagram that she had the best answer of the night.
A post shared by Jess Cagle (@mrjesscagle) (opens in new tab)
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Wood wasn't the only contestant to get political Sunday night. Miss North Dakota Cara Mund, who ended up winning the pageant, didn't hold back about President Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord. "I do believe it's a bad decision," she said, in response to a question from judge Maria Menounos. "Once we reject that, we take ourselves out of the negotiation table, and that's something that we really need to keep in mind. There is evidence that climate change is existing, so whether you believe it or not, we need to be at that table, and I think it's just a bad decision on behalf of the United States."
.@MissAmericaND answers a question from @mariamenounos! #MissAmerica pic.twitter.com/RkK4j4ideZSeptember 11, 2017
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From: ELLE US
Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.
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