Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado retaliated against the comments made by Republican nominee Donald Trump, describing him as “aggressive” and “really rude.”
“I know what I left with him and he knows, too. And he was really aggressive. He was really rude. He was a bad person with me,” Machado said during a CNN interview Tuesday evening. “That is the story that I need to share with my community. We cannot accept no more insults for my Latin community. No more insults for the women. I know very well Mr. Trump and I can see the same person that I met 20 years ago.”
The beauty queen was discussed during the presidential debate Monday, when Democrat Hillary Clinton criticized Trump for allegedly calling Machado “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping” after the Venezuelan gained weight following her 1996 Miss Universe victory, a pageant then owned by the Republican candidate. The pageant winner has become a U.S. citizen and has campaigned for Clinton. Trump responded the next morning during a Fox interview, stating that Machado was the “absolute worst” and “she gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem.”
“This was many years ago, and [she] found the girl and talked about her like she was Mother Teresa and it wasn’t quite that way, but that’s OK. Hillary has to do what she has to do,” Trump said.
The Republican’s campaign surrogates have pointed to reports that Machado was accused, but never charged, with driving a getaway car from a crime scene. The judge involved with the case reported Machado threatened his life after he indicted her boyfriend for the attempted murder.
“He can say whatever he wants to say. I don’t care. You know, I have my past, of course everybody has a past,” Machado said. “And I’m no saint girl. But that is not the point now … [Trump] was really rude with me, he tried to destroy my self-esteem,” said Machado, who has accused Trump of causing her eating disorder. “And now I’m a voice in the Latin community. I’m in a great moment in my life and I have a very clear life. And I can show my taxes.”
