Allegations that President Donald Trump entered the dressing rooms of Miss Teen USA contestants have resurfaced on social media this week, reigniting scrutiny over comments and reports from years past during his ownership of the Miss Universe Organization (1996–2015).
The renewed attention centers around a 2016 BuzzFeed News investigation and a 2005 appearance Trump made on The Howard Stern Show, in which he boasted about entering backstage areas during pageants.
What Trump Said
In the April 2005 Howard Stern interview, Trump discussed his access to contestants during the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, saying:
“I’ll go backstage before a show and everyone’s getting dressed… no men are anywhere, and I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant. You know, they’re standing there with no clothes… and so I sort of get away with things like that.”
While the comments referenced adult pageants (Miss USA and Miss Universe), not Miss Teen USA, they’ve frequently been cited in broader allegations.
The Miss Teen USA Allegations
In 2016, BuzzFeed News reported that five former contestants from the 1997 Miss Teen USA pageant—including then-Miss Vermont Teen USA Mariah Billado—claimed Trump entered the dressing room while they were in various stages of undress. Some of the contestants were reportedly as young as 15 at the time.
According to Billado, Trump said, “Don’t worry, ladies, I’ve seen it all before.”
Three other women, who remained anonymous, described the incident as “shocking” and “creepy.” A fifth woman later confirmed similar details. However, not all contestants described the encounter the same way—Victoria Hughes, Miss Teen New Mexico 1997, told BuzzFeed the situation had been exaggerated and noted that contestants were warned by chaperones to cover up.
Trump’s Response
Trump’s campaign denied the BuzzFeed report at the time, dismissing the claims as “completely false and politically motivated,” though it did not provide specific evidence refuting the accounts. Trump himself has never directly addressed the Miss Teen USA allegations.
Social Media Resurgence
The controversy returned to the spotlight this week after several posts on X (formerly Twitter) referenced the Stern interview, mischaracterizing Trump’s remarks as referring to Miss Teen USA contestants rather than adult participants in Miss USA or Miss Universe. One widely shared post by @charise_lee claimed Trump “admittedly stated” he entered the Miss Teen USA dressing rooms and linked the allegation to the #EpsteinCoverUp hashtag.
The post included a link to a video of the 2005 Stern interview, though Trump does not mention Miss Teen USA in the clip.
Ongoing Debate
While Trump’s 2005 remarks and the BuzzFeed allegations remain separate, they continue to fuel criticism and debate over his past behavior, particularly regarding his role in beauty pageants involving young contestants. Despite repeated resurfacing of the claims, no legal action or investigation has been formally pursued on this matter.
