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Two of the top five finalists at this year's Miss America pageant have surprised audiences with their bold responses to questions about Donald Trump and his policies.
During the final question round, Miss Texas Margana Wood took aim at the President's response to the Charlottesville protests, and Miss North Dakota Cara Mund — now Miss America 2018 — called the US withdrawal from the Paris climate accord a "bad decision".
"Last month, a demonstration of neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and the KKK in Charlottesville turned violent and a counter-protester was killed. The President said there was shared blamed with 'very fine people on both sides'. Were there? Tell me yes or no and explain," pageant judge Jess Cagle asked Miss Texas.
She did not hold back, and only needed 15 of her allotted 20 seconds to respond.
"I think that the white supremacist issue 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 in making sure all Americans feel safe in this country," Ms Wood, who placed fourth runner-up, said.
"That is the number one issue right now."
Mr Trump came under fire for waiting too long to condemn the white nationalist groups involved in the clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia where a woman was killed.
When Miss North Dakota was asked if it was wrong to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord — that seeks to rein in greenhouse gas emissions — she did not hesitate.
"It's a bad decision," she said.
"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 just think it's a bad decision on behalf of the United States."
Meeting with reporters after the ceremony, Ms Mund said she wanted, first and foremost, to give a real answer to the question.
"I wasn't really afraid if my opinion wasn't the opinion of my judges," she said.
"Miss America needs to have an opinion and she needs to know what's happening in the current climate."
In June, Mr Trump announced the United States was withdrawing from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, saying the deal was, "less about the climate and more about other countries gaining an advantage over the United States".
ABC/wires
Topics: donald-trump, arts-and-entertainment, climate-change, united-states
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