Erika Harold, a former AG candidate for Illinois and former Miss America, tweeted her disgust at the GOP in days following Donald Trump’s acquittal in the impeachment trial for the violence that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
“As a Republican, I am ashamed so many in my party actively perpetuated the falsehood of a stolen election and then blamed others for 1/6,” Harold tweeted. “And I am even more disheartened so many in my party knew these things were wrong but were too afraid to say otherwise.”
Trump’s unprecedented second impeachment trial saw just seven Republican senators vote to convict the former president.
The GOP senators backing Trump’s conviction include Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Mitt Romney of Utah, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
“President Trump attempted to corrupt the election,” Romney said following the result on Saturday.
“President Trump also violated his oath of office by failing to protect the Capitol, the Vice President, and others in the Capitol,” he added. “Each and every one of these conclusions compel me to support conviction.”
Harold was a candidate in the election for Illinois attorney general in 2018 but lost out to the Democrat candidate, Kwame Raoul who received 55 percent of the vote.
In 2014, she was a candidate in the Republican primary for the 13th Congressional District seat in the State of Illinois, losing the nomination to the incumbent candidate, Rodney Davis.
Harold was Miss Illinois in 2002 and was then crowned Miss America in 2003, on a pageant platform that saw her combat bullying. She also advocated for virginity until marriage.
Harold made headlines in 2018 when anti-gay adoption comments she allegedly made in a 2000 pageant in a behind-the-scenes interview came to light.
She was reportedly asked by contest officials if, given the choice, she would place a child into foster care with a loving gay couple or a heterosexual couple who were known child abusers.
Three sources allegedly told NBC 5 that she would choose child abusers.
Reacting to the allegations at the time, Harold told ABC 7: “I don’t remember the specific exchange that was alleged by the anonymous sources. What I do remember is that at the time I would not have supported same-sex adoption, but what I want to make very clear is my position today, which is I strongly support same-sex adoption and same-sex foster parenting.”
