Wednesday, September 17, 2025
GoLocalProv News Team
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President Donald Trump PHOTO GoLocal, Olivia Culpo, PHOTO Promo Miss Universe, Erika Kirk, PHOTO USMC Cpl. Cody A. Fodale, Public Domain
Who knew that the 2012 Miss USA pageant would have such intertwined complexities?
The pageant was owned by then-real estate developer Donald Trump. Participants that year included Rhode Island’s Olivia Culpo and Erika Lane Frantzve — today she is better known as the widow of Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was killed last week, allegedly by Tyler Robinson. Kirk was a prominent conservative activist.
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Robinson allegedly was involved in a relationship with a man who was transitioning to be a woman.
Moments before Kirk waskilled at a Utah universitylast Wednesday, Kirk was taking a question about transgender people and mass shootings.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” the event attendee asked.
“Too many,” Kirk replied.
Now travel back 13 years.
Culpo Wins Pageant After Answering Question About Transgender Pageant Contestants
In 2012, Culpo was a finalist in the Miss USA pageant, when she was asked the following question — and provided the following answer.
“Would you feel it would be fair that a transgender woman wins the Miss USA title over a natural-born woman?” asked celebrity judge Robert Kardashian.
“I do think that would be fair…but I can understand that people would be a little apprehensive to take that road because there is a tradition of natural born women, but today there are so many surgeries and so many people who have a need to change for a happier life,” said Culpo.
“I do accept that, because I believe it’s a free country.”
SEE VIDEO BELOW
Trump Endorsed Culpo's Stance
“She gave a great answer, a very tough question – on transgender – just the question everybody wants to hear, and she gave a great answer and she really did a great job,” Trump said praising Culpo on “Fox and Friends” in June 2012.
Culpo went on to win Miss Universe.
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