Jeannie Mai Drops Out Of Miss USA Pageant After Saying She Would Support Miss USA In Spite Of Donald Trump Comments

Donald Trump President 2015: Fashion expert Jeannie Mai is withdrawing from the Miss USA pageant because of Donald Trump's anti-immigration remarks.

"Last week I announced my heart-felt decision to support the women of Miss USA by remaining on board as a co-host," The 36-year-old Miss USA co-host announced on Monday.

"My focus was strictly on the women involved, who share the same ethics of hard work, commitment and passion for their careers and causes that I do. I have co-hosted for the last five years various Miss Universe events, and I'm grateful for the many women I've met and friends I've made along the way. I feel terrible that the women competing this year have fallen victim to current events."

Donald Trump upset a lot of people with his anti-immigration comments. The current Republican frontrunner got fired from NBC and is being probed by New York City authorities. One of Trump's biggest critics was Jeannie Mai,  who co-hosts Trump's Miss USA pageant. Mai also hosts the daytime talk show The Real.

"Let me be clear, I condemn the recent words of Mr. Trump, and find them immensely offensive," Mai wrote.

"At the time I made my decision to remain part of the Miss USA pageant, I was under the impression that Mr. Trump would no longer be involved in the production of the show in any capacity whatsoever. In addition, given Mr. Trump's ongoing antics, including his most recent episode today with the current Miss Universe, it is clear that Mr. Trump's actions have and will continue to distract focus away from the real stars of the show -- the women involved in the pageant.

"Therefore, I am respectfully withdrawing from my responsibilities and commitment as co-host of Miss USA. From the beginning, I announced publicly that I was donating my compensation to a worthy charity. Although I will no longer be participating as a co-host, I still want to support the women competing in the pageant. I feel the best way to show that is to lend my support to this year's winner of Miss USA and to make the donation I promised to her platform and charity," she concluded.

Mai's exit follows those of Cheryl Burke and Thomas Roberts, who were slated to co-host the pageant.

"I don't see how there is any room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the statement I made on June 16 during my presidential announcement speech," Trump wrote.

"Here is what I said, and yet this statement is deliberately distorted by the media: 'When Mexico (meaning the Mexican Government) sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you (pointing to the audience). They're not sending you (pointing again). They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems to us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people! But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we're getting. And it only makes common sense. They're sending us not the right people. It's coming from more than Mexico. It's coming from all over South and Latin America, and it's coming probably from the Middle East. But we don't know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don't know what's happening. And it's got to stop and it's got to stop fast.'"

Trump called reigning Miss Universe Paulina Vega a "hypocrite" because the Colombian beauty queen both condemned his recent sweeping generalizations about Mexican immigrants and opted to not relinquish her crown.

Last week, Jeannie Mai wrote "While I absolutely do not condone Mr. Trump's statements, after careful deliberation I have decided to continue my role as co-host of the upcoming Miss USA Pageant,"

But she's not doing it for Trump, Mai is doing it for the women in the competition.

"I support every single woman that is standing on that stage that understands what it's like to be committed to getting to where they are right now," Mai told ET.

"If this one man is going to make these comments it's going to stop you from representing your family and what you believe in? No, not for me at least."

Trump, 69, Mexican immigrants "rapists" who bring "drugs" and "crime" across the border.

"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists," Trump said while throwing his hat into the ring.

Trump insisted his words were taken out of context.

"I never singled out Mexico," Trump explained to ET.

"What I said is that people are coming across the border and they are coming through Mexico. Mexico is doing very little to stop it, that I can tell you. They are coming from all over the place, but it's illegal immigration. They come in unlawfully and there is tremendous crime around the people that are coming in."

Cheryl Burke and rapper Flo Rida pulled out of the annual beauty contest.

NBC and Univision will not to air Miss USA. Colombian singer J Balvin canceled his performance. Trump is now suing Univision for $500 million.

The pageant will be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 12 as planned.

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donald trump president 2015
jeannie mai
Miss America
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