Miss USA 2015 Can Finally Say How She Really Feels About Donald Trump
The last time we talked with 2015’s Miss USA, she was using her platform for good while challenging pageant stereotypes and being an activist for the Alzheimers Association.
Even though she has relinquished her crown earlier this summer to 2016’s Miss USA Deshauna Barber, Olivia Jordan is still using her voice and hoping to get that sitcom spot, but she’s also ready to be brutally honest about what we’ve all been wondering: wtf do you think about Donald Trump? You know, the asshat running for president who also happened to own the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants until recently?
We caught up with Olivia to get the deets as she was hosting New York Fashion Week’s IVY presentation featuring Angelys Balek.
How has life been since passing on the Miss USA crown?
It’s been crazy. Just getting back to hustling really. It’s one year in your life where everything is sort of taken care of for you. There are ups and downs to that you know when someone is telling you what to do. Now it’s like I have amazing freedom, but also no one is taking care of it so now I have to hustle and make stuff happen.
So what have you been up to since being back in LA?
So I just moved to LA last month, I went on a speaking tour spreading awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association all across the U.S. and now I’m getting back into auditioning. I’m hoping to book that pilot and get a serious lead in the acting world. That’s a serious goal for me. In the meantime I’m just modeling, hosting, and pursuing opportunities with cool people.
What was one of the best perks you got as Miss USA?
I got to go to the Philippines, and that was so cool and unexpected as Miss USA. I expected the national travel within the US, but getting to get that international experience and meeting people there was so wonderful. My roommate was from the Philippines during Miss Universe. So I got to go with her, it was like traveling with traveling with Beyoncé because she is so loved there and that was really cool, special and memorable.
I feel like it’s not easy to become Miss USA. What was the competition like?
I think the greatest challenge when you are competing it to always remember to stay true to yourself because there’s going to be a lot of outside pressure from coaches, from pageant directors and even from family telling you what you should do and what wear and how you should speak. But you just have to remember the whole time just to be you. It’s the only way you are going to fell comfortable for a year. You can’t fake it for that long.
So the Miss Universe organization was owned by Donald Trump during part of your reign, how did you manage to balance your job and what was happening, but also play the neutral card?
Gratefully there was only about a two-month overlap then Donald was still at the head of the organization and then WME/IMG purchased the company, but it was difficult for me because I don’t agree with so many of the things Donald Trump says.
Everything in relation to his presidential campaign has been focused on segregation and being extremely judgmental and it went against everything in my core values, so I, of course, just had to stay true to me, but also not be publicly sparring my boss in front of the entire world. But gratefully, of course he left the company and the wonderful right we have in America is the right of speech. So now I can share my views with no repercussions.
What does the rest of your fashion week look like? Are you staying around New York or heading back to LA?
So tomorrow, I’m doing an event with Cantor Fitzgerald for 9/11. They do a wonderful fundraiser every year and I work with Smile Train raising awareness and money and Cantor Fitzgerald lost the largest amount of employees during 9/11 and so they do this incredible fundraiser and I’m so happy to be part of it and honor the lives lost and all of the people affected. In New York, so many people have been affected so I’m glad to be part of that. Then after that, it’s back to LA.
