Newly-crowned Miss USA Kara McCullough U-turns on healthcare being a 'privilege'

The newly crowned Miss USA has attempted to clarify her comments on healthcare access, saying that she is "privileged" to have healthcare, but that it should be a right.

"I would like to just take this moment to truly just clarify because I am a woman, I'm going to own what I said. I am privileged to have healthcare," Kara McCullough from Washington DC, said on ABC's Good Morning America.

"And I do believe that it should be a right and I hope and pray moving forward that healthcare is a right for all worldwide."

McCollough was engulfed in controversy when she was asked at the annual pageant whether she thought healthcare was a right or a privilege for Americans.

"I'm definitely going to say it's a privilege," said McCullough, who also works as a scientist at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"As a government employee, I'm granted healthcare. And I see firsthand that for one, to have healthcare, you need to have jobs, so therefore we need to continue to cultivate this environment so that we're given the opportunities to have healthcare as well as jobs for all Americans worldwide."

Her answer quickly stoked controversy on Twitter, with some users saying they couldn't support her due to her views.

Asked during the interview Tuesday if she would change anything she had previously said, McCullough said she would want to clarify.

"I am privileged to have healthcare," she reiterated. "I just want people to see where I was coming from. Having a job, I have to look at healthcare like it is a privilege."