Fox News Writer Actually Dubs Miss America Pageant A "Nasty Woman March"

The 90th Miss America pageant aired on Sunday night, and, as happens every year, contestants were asked for their opinions on current events and political issues. While most of the women competing offered answers that attempted to remain neutral, one contestant — Miss Texas — took a clear stance criticizing President Donald Trump during the question and answers portion of the show. This was evidently enough for a Fox writer to dub the pageant a "Nasty Woman March" in an op-ed.

"Nasty women" is a label that became popular during the 2016 election after Trump referred to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as "such as nasty woman" during the final presidential debate in response to her answer on how she would raise taxes on the rich.

"My Social Security payroll contribution will go up, as will Donald's, assuming he can't figure out how to get out of it," the Democrat said.

"Such a nasty woman," Trump said while Clinton was in the middle of her answer.

On Sunday, pageant judge Jess Cagle asked Miss Texas Margana Wood about her opinion on the president's response to the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that took the life of one person in August.

“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?" said Cagle. "Tell me yes or no, and explain.”

In response, Wood said:

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’ve made a statement earlier addressing the fact, and in making sure all Americans feel safe in this country. That is the number one issue right now.

Todd Starnes, a Fox columnist and host of the Todd Starnes Radio Show, criticized the pageant for being biased against President Trump, writing in an op-ed that, "It was as if Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton were sitting underneath the Atlantic City boardwalk, sipping Chardonnay and writing this year’s questions."

Starnes also stated that, had Miss Missouri Jennifer Davis declared Trump to be guilty in her answer to the question of whether or not he had colluded with Russians during the election, she "would be wearing the crown today." In her actual answer, Davis said there was not enough information to make a definitive judgement; she was declared first runner-up.

It's worth noting, however, that Miss Texas did not win the pageant. Miss Arkansas Savvy Shields was ultimately crowned Miss America. Notably, Shields stumbled on her answer on judge Gabriel Douglas' question regarding her opinion on Hillary Clinton.

“Sorry, that’s kind of funny,” Shields said. “If you’re trying to be leader of the free world, everything you say and do matters, and all of your actions are held to a higher standard. And unfortunately, the media does love to sensationalize everything, and it’s hard to tell what is truth and what is truly scandal.”

Ultimately, a contestant who toed the line of neutrality won the competition.