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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 14, 2025

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dropped in on a teen beauty pageant while they were changing

This always struck me as one of those accusations that's either complete BS or lacking context. I have no doubt that pre-politics trump would drop in back-stage constantly at his own events or other peoples events, even when doing it would be rude. Dropping in to be the boss, to gladhand with people, to make connections. This story is presented like he's some pervert trying to sneak a peak at naked teenagers to get his rocks off. It seems far more likely that if the story is true, he does this as a power move to show that he's the in charge. Or a more charitable version would be that he's sincerely interested making the contestants and the event successful and wishing them well or telling them to break a leg.

I suspect most people agree since this particular accusation doesn't seem to even make the top 50 of his greatest hits. But its just another shot in a long litany of things to make him look bad.

This always struck me as one of those accusations

It was a brag, not an accusation. After he boasted on TV about hanging out in the dressing rooms at Miss Teen USA, a bunch of Miss Teen USA contestants came forward to say that he had indeed ogled them in the dressing rooms, and Trump changed tack and said that he had been joking and they were all lying.

I assume that a man who brags about hanging out in teen girls' dressing rooms thinks that that kind of behaviour is socially acceptable. And I think most men who thought it was socially acceptable would do it. So I find it more likely than not that Trump did hang out in the dressing rooms at Miss Teen USA.