Miss New York Camille Sims may not have snagged the Miss America crown on Sunday night (that honor went to Miss Arkansas Savvy Shields), but her remarks won her the Q&A portion of the competition.
During the interview portion of the show, Sims tackled one of the night's bluntest questions: What do you think of Donald Trump?
Nearly every question during the interviews was about politics. Most contestants ducked and dodged with answers that didn't mean much — like Miss Maryland, who claimed she was supporting both Trump and Hillary Clinton.
That wasn't the case for Sims. She firmly stated her opinion on the Republican presidential candidate, which likely helped her win the second runner-up spot.
“I think he’s a bright reminder of how our country needs to come together,” she said. “If you don’t agree with his message, then you need to decide where you stand on this debate.
"As Americans, we need to make sure that we are celebrating all people from all backgrounds," she continued.
Shields also touted the power of political compromise during a post-show news conference, hoping that by the end of her tenure as Miss America, politicians would be celebrated for bringing people together, not driving them apart.
The runners-up in addition to Sims were: Fourth runner-up, Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis; third runner-up, Miss Washington Alicia Cooper, and first runner-up Miss South Carolina Rachel Wyatt.
The first openly gay contestant in the Miss America pageant, Miss Missouri Erin O'Flaherty, was eliminated Sunday night when the top 15 finalists were chosen.
http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/people/2016/09/12/celebrity-news-royals-miley-cyrus-miss-america/90268332/