Kathy Zhu Joins Women for Trump Advisory Board After Being Stripped of Miss Michigan World America Title

Kathy Zhu, former Miss Michigan, has been appointed as a member of the Women for Trump Coalition Advisory Board. (Courtesy of Kathy Zhu)

Kathy Zhu, the pro-Trump beauty queen who was stripped of her Miss Michigan World America title for various controversial tweets has been appointed a member of the Women for Trump Coalition Advisory Board.

The 20-year-old political science student and president of College Republicans at the University of Michigan was stripped of her crown on July 18.

A week after her dethroning, the “Women for Trump” appointed Zhu as a member of its advisory board.

“Welcome, Kathy Zhu to the Official #WomenforTrump Coalition Advisory Board!” Women for Trump wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

“She is a patriot who has continued to stand for American values despite being stripped of her crown. Thank you for your support of President Trump!” the coalition wrote.

In a statement released to The Epoch Times, Zhu said it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she feels blessed.

“I am so excited to be able to join Women for Trump. This is an organization that truly empowers women’s voices and lets us be heard. This is such a once in a lifetime opportunity and I couldn’t be more blessed. I can’t wait to help our president get elected a 2nd term!” she told The Epoch Times.

Zhu also expressed her excitement at being a part of the coalition on Twitter. “I am so excited to now be part of the #WomenforTrump Coalition Advisory Board!” she wrote.

The Fall and the Rise of Zhu

Immediately after being stripped of her title, Zhu shared her thoughts on Twitter on July 18. She wrote that the State Director for Miss World America had accused her of “being racist, Islamaphobic, and insensitive.”

“They stripped me of my Miss Michigan title due to my refusal to try on a hijab in 2018, my tweet about black on black gun violence, and ‘insensitive’ statistical tweets,” Zhu wrote.

The Hijab episode dates back to last year after Zhu refused to wear a Hijab at a college booth organized on World Hijab Day. She wrote about it in a tweet on Feb. 1, 2018, that became controversial and was later deleted.

“There’s a ’try a hijab on' booth at my college campus. So you are telling me that it’s now just a fashion accessory and not a religious thing? Or are you just trying to get women used to being oppressed under Islam,” wrote Zhu on Twitter, according to screenshots made available by the media.

She also shared various emails and text messages on Twitter that the officials of the pageant organization sent her.

“Your social media accounts contain offensive, insensitive and inappropriate content, and in violation of MWA’s Rules and Conditions, especially the contestant requirement of ‘being good character and whose background is not likely to bring into dispute Miss World America or any other person associated with the organization,’” the State Director of Miss World America, Laurie DeJack wrote to Zhu in an email that the beauty queen shared on her Twitter.

In reply to this email, Zhu wrote: “I suggest you all fully review what you stand for and what you condemn. Statistics and facts are not always pleasant. It’s disgusting how you would rather lie to the public’s face than be supportive of someone that’s trying to make a difference by talking about subjects that no one dares to say.”

Zhu wrote on Twitter that she will not be taking any legal action against the pageant organization.

“I think they have suffered enough negative publicity—especially because they wanted to decrown me due to not wanting bad publicity in the first place,” she wrote. “When they go low, we go high,” she said.