Trump Aims to, Um, Revive Interest in Miss USA Pageant

I'd say he's got my interest. Well, at least Miss Minnesota does.

Miss USA contestants are letting it all hang out this year!

Vamped up, cleavage-baring beauties -- dressed in no more than lacy lingerie or fishnets -- are gracing the Web site of the Miss USA pageant, in an eye-popping reversal from the competition's traditional, homespun look.

Now the girl next door is lucky to have a bra.

The new sexy version of Miss USA, which airs this Sunday, comes a year after Miss California Carrie Prejean lost her crown when seminude pictures of her emerged after the competition.

Prejean was already in hot water after giving a tortured explanation of her opposition to gay marriage.

Donald Trump -- who owns the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe competitions -- argued that Prejean's sexy shots crossed a line that these Miss USA snaps don't.

"Those were quite a bit different. There's no open exposure [in the current Miss USA pictures]," Trump told The Post yesterday.

The 51 Miss USA wannabes were photographed for their black-and-white "glam" shots last week in Las Vegas by pageant shutterbug Fadil Berisha.

You can see all the photos here. Of course as a public service we feel obliged to offer up a few more of our favorites.

Here's Miss Connecticut.

I've got a sudden desire to visit Idaho.

Things are looking fine in Mississippi.

After visiting Idaho, I'll head south east to Wyoming.

And finally, Miss Virginia. Let us hope they'll be strutting their stuff wearing these outfits during the pageant.

Update: Thanks to Jedi for pointing out my geography error in relation to Wyoming and Idaho. My mind was elsewhere at the time.

Instapundit links. Thanks!