Supporters of former President Donald Trump are claiming the “Trump effect” played a role in the crowning of this year’s Miss Universe, Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark. Theilvig, who has blonde hair and blue eyes, emerged victorious at the 73rd annual pageant on Saturday, outshining over 120 contestants to win the prestigious title.
On social media platform X, many users celebrated Theilvig’s win as a triumph for the MAGA movement, suggesting that it marks the end of “wokeness” in the pageant world. One user shared a photo of Theilvig with her Miss Denmark sash and flag, writing, “Wokeness is officially over. This is the new Miss Universe.”
Others praised the victory as indicative of a shift in societal values under a Trump administration, with some attributing the win to Trump’s influence on the pageant, having once owned the Miss Universe Organization.
“Trump is actually making America great again,” read one post, while another commented, “It’s the Trump Effect in action. Had Kamala won, the prize would’ve gone to a 40-year-old transgender.”
Some fans of the president-elect even expressed surprise that a “real woman” had won, referring to Theilvig’s biological sex. Although the Miss Universe pageant has always crowned biological females, it has made efforts to diversify its contestants in recent years. The organization, now owned by a Thai media mogul and trans rights supporter, has allowed married, plus-sized, and transgender contestants, like Portugal’s Marina Machete, to compete.
The 2023 pageant was notably more inclusive, featuring two transgender contestants, though no transgender woman has yet won the title. Debate about the participation of trans women in beauty pageants has been ongoing since 2012, when the Miss Universe Organization first allowed trans contestants to compete.
While Miss Universe continues to evolve, the 2023 competition was seen by some as a return to a more traditional demographic, with Theilvig’s win sparking discussions about the future direction of pageants and their representation of beauty standards.
