AP/Eric Draper
The morning after Hillary Clinton confronted Donald Trump with his own words describing former Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado as “Miss Piggy,” the Republican presidential candidate doubled down on his disparaging remarks by calling Machado’s past weight gain a “real problem.”
“She gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday morning. “Not only that, her attitude, we had a real problem with her. So, Hillary went back into the years and she found this girl and talked about her like she was Mother Teresa, but it wasn’t quite that way.”
He went on to attribute Clinton’s mention of Machado during the first presidential debate as an attempt to stay ahead in national polls.
Shortly after the debate wrapped up on Monday, the Clinton campaign released a web video featuring Machado where she described Trump as a frightening figure who routinely bullied her about her appearance. In one incident, Machado claims Trump once ambushed her with reporters who filmed her while she exercised—an experience she said left her scarred with eating disorders.
Donald Trump called her “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping.”
Her name is Alicia Machado. #DebateNight pic.twitter.com/0wrISjJe6z
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 27, 2016
Machado announced that she recently became a US citizen and will be voting for Clinton this November.
