She took heat on social media for her answer to a question about health care, calling it "a privilege."
A nuclear scientist from Washington, D.C., was crowned Miss USA Sunday night, despite controversy over some of her answers during a Q&A segment, which left many scratching their heads.
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Miss D.C. Kára McCullough, who works for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has been called one of the most intelligent Miss USA winners to wear the crown.
The beauty queen's poise and confidence won over the judges, but she took a lot of heat on social media for her answer to a question about health care when she called it “a privilege.”
When asked by the judges if she thought health care is a right or a privilege, she said it was “definitely a privilege.”
“As a government employee, I am granted health care and I see first-hand that for one to have health care, you have to have jobs,” she said. “So therefore, we need to continue to cultivate this environment that we're given the opportunity to have health care as well as jobs to all American citizens worldwide.”
The comments led her to be dragged through the social media mud.
"Health care is NOT A PRIVILEGE!! Tell that to all the people out of work, the elderly, and sick children and babies. Ugh!! You lost me on that comment," one person wrote on Instagram.
"Damn Sis, what kind of AIRHEAD response was that," another Instagrammer wrote. "#Healthcare shouldn't be privilege base on "Having a Job". What about those family that have or will soon lose their job, you saying they shouldn't have Healthcare?"
After Miss DC replied Healthcare is a privilege and not a right ? #MissUSA pic.twitter.com/W6AeQzg01Y
— Courtney Blakely (@Court_Blakely) May 15, 2017
Miss DC USA just said healthcare is a privilege. Not a right!?!? Ma'am!!! What? #MissUSA pic.twitter.com/EbPYMJ7luD
— Makho Ndlovu (@makhondlovu) May 15, 2017
McCullough is also under fire for not considering herself a feminist.
“So as a woman scientist in the government, I’d like to lately transpose the word feminism to equalism,” McCullough said. “I don’t really want to consider myself — try not to consider myself like this die-hard, you know, like, ‘Oh, I don’t really care about men.’ But one thing I’m gonna say, though, is women, we are just as equal as men when it comes to opportunity in the workplace.”
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As the backlash on social media mounted, some rushed to her defense.
"Congratulations on such an amazing accomplishment. Beauty & Brains! What a role model," one fan wrote on Instagram.
"I support you 100%! You're very brave!!" another posted.
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