Nicolai Haugsted
Former beauty queen says Epstein preyed on contestants at Trump’s 1993 pageant
Fresh claims involving Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and the beauty pageant world have surfaced after a former international beauty queen alleged that young contestants were targeted by powerful men during one of Trump’s competitions in the early 1990s.
Beatrice Keul, a former Miss Switzerland runner-up and Miss Europe contestant, shared the allegations in an interview with PunchUp, published by The Daily Beast. Alongside repeating her previous allegation that Trump sexually assaulted her—a claim the president has repeatedly denied—Keul now claims vulnerable contestants were steered toward Epstein and others operating within the modeling industry.
Former contestant describes “playground” for predators
According to Keul, the atmosphere at the 1993 Donald J. Trump American Dream Pageant differed dramatically from other beauty contests she had experienced.
Rather than following the structured routines she expected, she alleged that influential men approached contestants in hotel lobbies and private suites, selecting women for exclusive gatherings.
“They knew exactly what they wanted. I was fresh meat.”
Keul also claimed Epstein personally attempted to recruit her by offering flights and accommodation for parties at Mar-a-Lago, allegedly telling her she had “the caliber for this league.”
She further alleged that fellow contestants were pressured into meeting men they barely knew after being singled out during the competition.
White House rejects allegations
The article notes there is no evidence that Trump knew Epstein or anyone else was allegedly using the pageants to recruit young women, and Trump has not been accused of facilitating such activity.
Trump has consistently denied the sexual assault allegations made against him by Keul and numerous other women.
Responding to the latest claims, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the president.
“President Trump has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him.”
Jackson also said Trump had been “totally exonerated on anything related to Epstein,” pointing to the administration’s release of documents and the signing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Earlier allegations revisited
The new interview also revisits accusations made by multiple former contestants from the Miss Universe organization, which Trump owned between 1996 and 2015.
Several women have previously alleged that Trump entered backstage dressing rooms while contestants were changing. Trump has denied those accusations, with representatives describing them as politically motivated and without merit.
The Daily Beast reported that it had contacted Trump’s representatives for additional comment regarding Keul’s latest allegations.
