Miss USA Pageant Will Survive Without NBC

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The Miss USA Pageant has announced that it will still take place on July 12th in Baton Rouge even though NBC is no longer airing it, according to Us Weekly. NBC has decided to pull the broadcast in the wake of Donald Trump's racist remarks about immigration, where he said that the US has become "a dumping ground for everyone else's problems" and "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best... They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." The Miss USA Pageant is part of several Donald Trump-owned entertainment ventures that NBC is publicly dropping from its roster due to Trump's comments.

Trump made it clear he's planning to sue the network over the decision. "If NBC is so weak and so foolish to not understand the serious illegal immigration problem in the United States, coupled with the horrendous and unfair trade deals we are making with Mexico, then their contract violating closure of Miss Universe/Miss USA will be determined in court," he said in a statement to Us Weekly.

As of today, no network has stepped in to pick up the show, but it's soldiering on through the mess. "While world politics and other influences will undoubtedly play a role, the pageant will always seek to transcend controversy," the Miss USA organization told Us Weekly in a statement. "It is unfortunate that recent events beyond our control have only served to negatively impact the women who participate in the pageant, our state directors, our sponsors and our fans. We want our supporters to know we remain committed to them and we will be conducting the pageant, regardless of the current situation."