The Bert Show - 2018

A civil war has broken out within the "Miss America" ranks, which is threatening to destroy a tradition.

Last month, new "Miss America" chairwoman Gretchen Carlson eliminated the 'swimsuit competition.'

At the time, pageant-lovers everywhere struggled to process the loss.  But now, the outrage is bubbling to the surface, and Gretchen is facing major backlash.

22 state pageant leaders are trying to oust her because they're worried about the pageant's new, more sensibly dressed direction.

They're arguing that ending the rich tradition of the swimsuit competition is just an overreaction to the #MeToo movement.  And the contestants aren't being objectified, because the women worked hard to make their bodies look awesome.

Megyn Kelly, for one, is pro swimsuit.

On her show yesterday, she said, "What's wrong with showing women in bikinis?"  She added that this is about looks, "If you're looking for the smartest woman in America, you should be at MIT, you shouldn't be at Miss America."