Donald Trump Jr. Hails ‘Objectively Attractive’ Woman Winning Miss Universe

Victoria Kjaer Theilvig’s crowning as Miss Universe 2024 has brought political and cultural debates, with Donald Trump Jr. and other MAGA supporters hailing it as a victory against “woke” ideals.
Theilvig, a 21-year-old competitive dancer and aspiring lawyer, took the title during the pageant held November 16 in Mexico City, marking Denmark’s first-ever Miss Universe win. She also serves as an animal protection advocate and works in the diamond industry. Theilvig defeated Miss Nigeria at the end of the competition, with Miss Mexico finishing third.
Trump Jr. reacted on X (formerly Twitter) by framing Theilvig’s win as a rejection of recent inclusivity efforts: “Biological & objectively attractive women are allowed to win beauty pageants again. WE ARE SO BACK.”
The 2024 Miss Universe competition differed significantly from last year’s event, which included two transgender contestants: Rikkie Kollé from the Netherlands, who won the title, and Marina Machete from Portugal. Their participation followed Ángela Ponce’s historic moment in 2018, when she became the first transgender woman to compete in Miss Universe, representing Spain.
The growing participation of transgender women in the pageant has drawn criticism, with some claiming it overshadowed the event’s traditional focus. Donald Trump, a former co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, has opposed the inclusion of transgender contestants, calling it an embrace of “woke ideology.”
The Miss Universe pageant has often been a cultural battleground, navigating the tensions between tradition and evolving societal values. Supporters of the president-elect, including his eldest son, see Theilvig’s win as evidence of societal shifts that align with conservatives’; agenda. On X, some users referred to the result as “the Trump Effect,” linking it to Trump’s recent electoral success.
In 2022, Anne Jakkapong Jakrajutatip, a Thai media mogul and transgender woman, acquired the Miss Universe Organization and introduced inclusive policies, allowing married women, mothers and transgender contestants to compete. Critics argued these changes deviated from the competition’s original ethos.
Some observers said that Theilvig’s win may signal a shift within the Miss Universe Organization, potentially driven by public backlash against inclusivity measures. Critics of these policies, including Trump Jr., argue that her victory represents a return to “normalcy.” Notably, no transgender contestants participated in the 2024 pageant.
Still, several women made history at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant. Chidimma Adetshina became the first Miss Nigeria to place in the top five, earning the first runner-up spot. Miss Malta, Beatrice Njoya, 40, set a record as the oldest contestant in pageant history, while Miss Egypt, Logina Salah, became the first Miss Universe competitor with the skin condition vitiligo.