Donald Trump's Feud With Rosie O'Donnell Actually Began With A Fight Over Miss USA

Donald Trump s infamous and ongoing beef with Rosie ODonnell started over her criticism of his handling of a Miss USA beauty queen.

In 2006, New York tabloids reported that Tara Conner, the reigning Miss USA, had been spotted at a club making out with a Miss Teen USA and had failed a test for cocaine.

A New York Daily News story about the affair which reads suspiciously like Trump himself was a source speculated that Trump would be firing Conner. Never one to miss a media opportunity, Trump called a major press conference to publicly announce her fate.

As told later in a glowing profile of Conner in Oprah magazine, a benevolent Trump had second thoughts, and gave the beauty queen a second chance.

Originally, Donald planned on firing her, but after meeting with her in his office, he had a change of heart. I hated it from the concept of what it would do to somebodys life, he says. I said I was going to give her a second chance. ... The biggest backlash I had was not from the public. I think the public liked it. The biggest backlash I had was from the staff.
Donald has personal reasons for his decision. His brother, Fred, was an alcoholic. He had everything, but he got hooked on alcohol, and it killed him, Donald says. I believe in second chances, and sometimes it works when you give somebody a second chance. She went from being a disaster to being a terrific Miss USA. But, much more importantly, she sets an example for so many other people that are going through the same thing.

Trumps grandstanding and moralizing at the press conference, with Conner sobbing by his side, was too much for ODonnell. He annoys me on a multitude of levels, ODonnell said from her perch on The View. Hes the moral authority? Left the first wife, had an affair; left the second wife, had an affair; had kids both times. But hes the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America? Donald, sit and spin, my friend.

Trump, as he does, quickly counterattacked. I had a choice, he said later in a 2007 speech at a real estate conference. I couldve attacked back, or I couldve let it pass. And I chose to go the first one.

And with that, the feud heard round the world was launched into orbit. To be honest, it started with a beauty pageant contestant and frankly shes a great beauty, Tara is a great beauty, and then you have Rosie, the beast; you have beauty and the beast, Trump said.

Trumps chivalry, though, wasnt as pure as he had suggested to Oprah. Everyone thought Id fire her. Then I saw how beautiful she was, I said, How the hell can I fire her? he said in the speech.

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