If you are looking forward to watching the 2015 Miss USA Pageant, then you need to make sure you have a stable internet connection. The show will be available as live stream via MissUniverse.com/MissUSA on July 12 as a last-ditch effort by the organizers to salvage viewership as NBC and Univision dropped out as TV partners, CNN reports.
The decision of the networks to back out from the airing was made after Trump's recent speech about Mexican Immigrants which he says bring drug dealers, criminals, and rapists into America. Donald Trump co-owns Miss USA/Miss Universe franchise with NBC.
On Tuesday evening during his presidential campaign in New Hampshire, Trump expressed his disappointment over the networks' decision: "What NBC and Univision did to these young women was disgraceful," he said.
Despite the present challenge, the organizers of the show are not in any way planning to cancel or postpone the event:
"We are disheartened by recent events but the show will go on," the Miss Universe organization said in a statement Tuesday morning. "We are moving forward, full-steam ahead as planned for the next two weeks, culminating in the crowning of a new Miss USA on July 12."
But looks like they will need to look for new people to host the show as professional dancer Cheryl Burke and MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts have already withdrawn from their hosting duties.
"In light of the recent statements made by Donald Trump and the subsequent decision by NBC to cut ties with Mr. Trump, I cannot in good conscience move forward with participating in this year's Miss USA Pageant as its co-host," Burke wrote on Facebook. "Effective today I have withdrawn from my duties with Miss USA."
Roberts tacitly confirmed his exit in a tweet on Tuesday: "Best of luck to all #MissUSA2015 contestants this year & THX to the good people behind the scenes @MissUniverse - been a joy working w/you!"
In a report by Variety, Trump filed a $500 million lawsuit against Univision saying, "in reality, a politically motivated attempt to suppress Mr. Trump's freedom of speech under the First Amendment as he begins to campaign for the nation's presidency."
But Univision responded in a statement saying "Our decision to end our business relationship with Mr. Trump was influenced solely by our responsibility to speak up for the community we serve."
NBC has not made any further comment on the issue.
