tonight a shake-up for Miss America the
2019 Edition will scrap a long-standing
pageant tradition the swimsuit
competition
joining us now Miss America 2004 and
Orlando native Erica Dunlap welcome
Thank You gretchen carlson the pageants
chairwoman made the big announcement
this morning about the changes with a
swimsuit competition
what was your reaction when you heard
this it was yeah I'm gonna miss the
swimsuit competition and quite frankly
but I support the leadership in coming
up with a new solution to revive a Miss
America brand so hopefully this is going
to be a positive direction for us but I
definitely I enjoyed being able to
compete in all phases of competition and
I think that it really helped me to you
know be the woman that I am much less
than this America that I've been able to
be sure do you think it will now open it
up to a lot more people and is that a
good thing or not such a good thing I
think the cream always rises to the top
you know the end of the day this has
always been a competition it's not just
a beauty pageant and you're really
competing against your very best self
every single time and that's what I tell
contestants what I the methodology that
I use to win was that I was always
focused on me and when you focus on
being better than your last best then
you're always going to come up to the
top if it's meant for you and if it's in
your time so I think that more people
will definitely have the opportunity but
that doesn't mean that every you're just
going to become as Muriel you want to
taking the stage anytime soon but beyond
your overall your outward appearance
Bemis America is so much more than just
your swimsuit it's more than your
evening out it's more than your talent
even but your talent your swimsuit even
all those components together create
this entire whole package person yeah
and that's what we really need is a Miss
America is someone who is able to be
able to go to swimsuit there yeah back
back in those days 15 years ago but
someone who can go to a Children's
Hospital and speak to children and
inspire them in their darkest times
someone who can go to a Veterans
Hospital and console young vets who are
coming back from
very treacherous situations that they
weren't accustomed to and possibly a
different body you know Miss America
does a variety of things beyond just
being innocent you're never in your
swimsuit actually you're doing
humanitarian work you're not out you're
you know you and I were talking earlier
and you were saying that the swimsuit
competition it's not about what you look
like you know some suit it's about
discipline and being able to kind of
live that lifestyle and be your best and
we have a nice close-up if your crown
there
yeah and it's actually it has a little
ding here because it's fallen you know
that's the reality of the crown man
sometimes it falls down and it has
battle bruises and all kinds of things
but what I really appreciate about this
new change is that we get a chance to
hear from the public what what is
important and this is not a matter of
men who aren't going to watch Miss
America listen if you're a guy that was
just watching this America for swimsuit
you missed out on the whole thing so you
really should be watching Miss America
for the total package young lady that
captures your eye and someone that you
just think has it and the it to be able
to have the stamina to be Miss America
travel the country for 340 days out of
the year suspending her education for
the year to be a representative of this
country and be an ambassador of hope
enjoy oh my god I mean you're not only
beautiful but I just want to follow you
around because you've said such positive
things I mean I think we can all learn
from I am a positive person and that's
another part of being Miss America is
that there are times when you're in
situations that are a little
uncomfortable but being Miss America you
have grace you have poise and that's
something that the ideal of femininity
in the time reflected that and so I
think that's a really important factor
that I don't want to be lost in the
shuffle all right Erica Dunlap thank you
so much for joining us later more than
welcome
[Laughter]