The Miss USA pageant was already without a television broadcaster. Now the event no longer has any hosts, the latest fallout over Donald Trump’s incendiary remarks about Mexican immigrants.
Professional dancer Cheryl Burke announced Tuesday that she will no longer serve as co-host of Miss USA next month, citing both Trump’s recent comments and NBC’s decision to cut ties with the billionaire. A short while later, a spokesman for NBC confirmed that MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts had also withdrawn from hosting duties.
“In light of the recent statements made by Donald Trump and the subsequent decision by NBC to cut ties with Mr. Trump, I cannot in good conscience move forward with participating in this year’s Miss USA Pageant as its co-host,” Burke wrote on Facebook. “Effective today I have withdrawn from my duties with Miss USA.”
NBC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Organizers of the Miss USA pageant have vowed to move forward as planned, even though NBC has decided to not broadcast the event. The network ended its business relationship with Trump on Monday over his remarks on Mexican immigrants, which sparked a backlash.
“We are disheartened by recent events but the show will go on,” the Miss Universe organization, which governs the Miss USA pageant, said in a statement Tuesday morning. “We are moving forward, full-steam ahead as planned for the next two weeks, culminating in the crowning of a new Miss USA on July 12.”
Before NBC pulled out, Univision, the biggest Spanish-language broadcaster in the country, decided last week to end its five-year contract to air the pageant as a protest against Trump’s derogatory comments about Mexicans, which he made in announcing his presidential campaign.
Trump owns half of the organization that oversees both the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
Meanwhile, Miss Kansas USA Alexis Railsback, said that the pageant was “kind of taking the brunt for Donald Trump’s speech.” Railsback, a third-generation Mexican-American, told the Kansas City Star that Trump “does not organize the pageant, he does not run what goes on.”
“That’s a personal decision that he made to make that speech and to run for president, and I don’t think it is really related to the pageant in any way, other than the fact that he is the co-owner,” Railsback said.
The Miss USA pageant is scheduled to be held July 12 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Trump has said that he will sue Univision for the decision, and he indicated on Monday that he may also file a lawsuit against NBC.