Say what? Miss California stumped by interview question at Miss USA pageant

LAS VEGAS — Although Miss District of Columbia Deshauna Barber slayed her interview question at Sunday night's Miss USA pageant to win the crown, not everyone was as lucky.

When Miss California Nadia Mejia attempted to answer a difficult question about income inequality, her rambling response left social media users scratching their heads.

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"One of the biggest challenges facing the United States is social and economic inequality. How do we narrow the gap between the rich and poor?" asked judge Nigel Barker.

Mejia, visibly rattled, stood silently for several seconds before responding, "When it comes to social and economic inequality, I think that the rich and the poor need to stop being so segregated. I think there is a middle class. I think that the rich need to ..."

She stopped again and was met with a round of supportive applause as co-host Terrence J urged her to "take a breath."

She continued, "I think that the rich need to be able to be giving, and I think the poor need to work hard, and I think the middle class need to come together and find an in-between."

Here's what social media users had to say:

To be honest, we've seen worse. Remember this gem from the Miss Teen USA pageant in 2007?

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Cox Media Group