Is Donald Trump still connected to Miss Universe
One of the largest questions surrounding Donald Trump’s ascent to the presidency has been how he’ll manage his business empire while in office. Some have argued that his stake in global commerce could present a potential conflict of interest, and many have called for the Commander in Chief to step down from his outside enterprises in order to focus on the country. Some may recall that Trump made controversial remarks about his involvement in Miss Universe during his campaign, and with the pageant set to air on Jan. 29, viewers may be wondering: ?
According to Variety, the President actually sold the rights to the organization to WME/IMG back in September 2015. As reported by Variety, the financial details were not disclosed. The deal hit just days after Trump announced via Twitter that he had bought out NBC’s 51 percent share of the beauty pageant, which the network had co-owned with Trump since 2002. The network severed ties with the now-president in July of 2015, refusing to air Miss USA after Trump made controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants during a campaign speech. Trump’s statement to Bustle issued in June 2015 read in part:
NBC also released a statement at the time, which read in part:
You can read both NBC and Trump’s full statements here. After selling the rights to WME/IMG, the broadcast switched networks and will be shown on FOX this year, as it was last year.
Trump’s controversy with the pageant didn’t start and end with his comments on immigration, though. His behavior during the pageants and towards the pageant contestants was a frequent topic of conversation…
Comments