Nuclear Scientist and Newly-Crowned Miss USA Says Healthcare is a Privilege, Not a Right

From: Towleroad

The newly-crowned Miss USA has caused a social media hullabaloo by claiming that affordable healthcare is a privilege, not a right.

Kára McCullough, who is also a scientist at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, linked health care access to job creation, suggesting that people without a job are not entitled to coverage, reports the NY Daily News.

“I’m definitely going to say it’s a privilege,” McCullough said during the Sunday night pageant at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. “As a government employee, I’m granted health care. And I see firsthand that for one, to have health care, you need to have jobs, so therefore we need to continue to cultivate this environment so that we’re given the opportunities to have health care as well as jobs for all Americans worldwide.”

While many conservative and right wing commentators supported McCullough, the reaction elsewhere was cooler.

Twitter user Kyle Morris wrote: “The hypocritical left is outraged because #MissUSA 2017, Kára McCullough, has different views on feminism and health care in America.”

The hypocritical left is outraged because #MissUSA 2017, Kára McCullough, has different views on feminism and health care in America. pic.twitter.com/JsibWIIl0J

— Kyle Morris (@RealKyleMorris) May 15, 2017

@AmericanKeith wrote: “HOORAY FOR #MissUsa Healthcare is an absolute privilege Liberals, get off your fat asses, get a job and pay for it”

HOORAY FOR #MissUsa

Healthcare is an absolute privilege

Liberals, get off your fat asses, get a job and pay for it https://t.co/vz8j7IiocW

— keith (@americankeith) May 15, 2017

However, others were not so taken with McCullough’s comments.

Kara McCullough.is very naive in calling health care a privilege. Before Obamacare, people worked in places that did not provide healthcare.

— Alexis (@eemc2) May 16, 2017

New post: Kara McCullough ‘s healthcare response is asinine at least https://t.co/DTdVQa1mU9

— Bazaar Daily News (@bazaardailyUS) May 16, 2017

Miss USA: Health care privilege not a right you so wrong bad answer so smart no brains#Kara McCullough#missusa2017 https://t.co/652l8ZeRrJ

— Tanisha Alicea (@TanishaAlicea) May 16, 2017

Watch McCullough’s comments below.

It should be noted that McCullough has made statements to clarify her answer. She clams that "she is privilaged" to have health care, and the affordable health care should be a right.

One wonders if this is truly what she meant to say, or is it the PR people with Miss USA trying to fix an problem. Either way if Donald Trump still owned the pageant, no clarification would have been made!