The new Miss USA, who once sang at a Trump rally, speaks out about the ongoing election turmoil: 'People have voted, and they deserve to have their voices heard'
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Anneta Konstantinides
Nov 13, 2020, 05:22 IST
Newly-crowned Miss USA Asya Branch told Insider that she believes the "people have voted" in the election and they "deserve to have their voices heard."Benjamin Askinas/Miss USA
Miss USA Asya Branch spoke to Insider about America's ongoing election turmoil.
"This election was historic — more voters than what we've ever had in our election history," Branch told Insider. "And I think people deserve to have their voices heard."
"The people have voted," she added. "That's the whole purpose of us having this right, and we exercised it. That should be that."
Shortly after Branch was crowned on Monday, people on Twitter pointed out that she sang at a Trump rally in 2018 and once appeared at a roundtable with the president at the White House.
"This election was historic — more voters than what we've ever had in our election history," Asya Branch, who was crowned Miss USA on Monday night, told Insider. "And I think people deserve to have their voices heard."
Biden has received more votes than any presidential candidate in America's history. At the time of writing, he has 78,380,438 popular votes and 290 electoral votes. In comparison, Trump has 72,999,123 popular votes and 232 electoral votes, according to Decision Desk.
Branch — who represented Mississippi at Miss USA — told Insider that she believes the votes are clear, and that the American people's decision should be respected.
"The people have voted," she said. "That's the whole purpose of us having this right, and we exercised it. That should be that. People have voted, and they deserve to have their voices heard."
Shortly after Branch won, people on Twitter pointed out that she sang at a Trump rally in 2018 and once appeared at a roundtable with the president at the White House
"I think what people miss a lot of the time is the fact that, as Miss Mississippi in the Miss America system, I was under a contract as an employee of the organization," she said. "Part of my contract obligated me to attend appearances, and that [Trump rally] was one of them."
"And I think that any opportunity that I get to sing the National Anthem is a true honor, regardless of where it takes place."
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Branch also noted that she went to the White House to discuss the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that was signed into law in December 2018
"The roundtable discussion was an incredible opportunity for me to sit at a table where decisions are being made, and leave a lasting impact on a subject that I'm extremely passionate about," Branch said. "Having that First Step Act passed was just truly incredible to me, and it just warmed my heart to know that I was part of that discussion of progress in the right direction when it comes to prison reform."
"And I think, as a nation, it's just important that we focus on what really matters and we let go of the hatred," she added. "And we just focus on us as the people, and what we can do using our voices."
Branch's Miss USA platform is helping the children of incarcerated parents. She was inspired to publicly speak out about the issue after a pageant judge encouraged her to be open about what it was like growing up with a father in prison.
As the new Miss USA, Branch said she hopes to help 'unite our nation once again and restore trust, positivity, and hope'
"When you look at pageants as a whole, we all represent different regions of the country, we all have different beliefs, we all have different passions and things that we advocate for, yet we're all still able to love each other," Branch told Insider.
"And I think, as a nation, we should look to pageantry as an example. How we all have our differences, yet we're still able to come together and love one another."
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