Cheryl Burke Drops Out of the Miss USA Pageant Due to NBC’s Position on Donald Trump

The headline says it all, but here is Cheryl’s official statement. Go, girl!

MISS USA

In light of the recent statements made by Donald Trump and the subsequent decision by NBC to cut ties with Mr. Trump, I cannot in good conscience move forward with participating in this year’s Miss USA Pageant as its co-host. Effective today I have withdrawn from my duties with Miss USA. Although I will not be there in person, I wish all of the contestants much luck as I know how hard they’ve all been working over the last year to try and realize their dreams.

Variety has also picked up this story.

Burke’s departure comes on the same day that NBC would air an “American Ninja Warrior” special on the night it was originally scheduled to air Miss USA. The three-hour July 12 special will be the show’s second annual “USA vs. the World” extravaganza, in which top competitors from the hot Monday series “American Ninja Warrior” go head to head with competitors from Japan and Europe. Last year’s “USA vs. the World” special in mid-September delivered a potent 1.9 rating in adults 18-49 despite facing tough reality show competition, including the season premiere of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”