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‘Miss Piggy’: Donald Trump slams comments about former Miss Universe winner

Donald Trump has hit back defending comments he made about former Miss Universe pageant winner Alicia Machado, who he called “Miss Piggy” after she put on weight following the 1996 pageant.

The touchy topic of Machado was raised again during the second half of Monday night’s presidential debate by nominee Hillary Clinton.

The next day, Trump came out swinging when he participated in a phone interview on “Fox & Friends” saying that at the time Machado had “gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem.”

Trump and the former beauty queen in happier times. Source: Supplied.
Trump and the former beauty queen in happier times. Source: Supplied.
Machado has obtained her US citizenship this year and has said she is voting for Hillary Clinton. Source: Supplied.
Machado has obtained her US citizenship this year and has said she is voting for Hillary Clinton. Source: Supplied.

"She was the worst we ever had. The worst, the absolute worst," Trump added.

"She was impossible."

Though the controversial comments were made two decades ago, the country just can’t seem to shake its fascination with 1996 Miss Universe winner and her alleged mistreatment at the hands of then-pageant-owner Trump.

The candidates face off in the 90 minute debate. Photo: EPA
The candidates face off in the 90 minute debate. Photo: EPA

Much of the focus has been on the 1997 press conference at which Trump and personal trainer Edward Jackowski discussed, right in front of Machado, the specifics of her weight gain and workout plan and how she was “somebody who likes to eat.”

Trump also described himself at the press conference as “someone who likes to eat”.

Trump is also seen in 1990s footage saying Machado "weighed 118 pounds or 117 pounds (53 kilograms) and she went up to 160 or 170 (72.5 or 77 kg). So this is somebody that likes to eat."

It all started when Hillary Clinton invoked Machado’s name at Monday’s presidential debate. Source: Supplied.
It all started when Hillary Clinton invoked Machado’s name at Monday’s presidential debate. Source: Supplied.
Trump with the former beauty queen at the now imfamous press conference. Source: Supplied.
Trump with the former beauty queen at the now imfamous press conference. Source: Supplied.

Trump also added that rumours had surfaced at the time that Machado might lose her crown because of her weight gain however Trump stated at the press conference, “We had a choice of termination or do this. We wanted to do this.”

However a Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson, said on The Kelly File on Tuesday: “We are talking about beauty pageants. These individuals who participate in these contests have a weight clause in their contract.”

Trump also later spoke to Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly saying that he “saved her job because they wanted to fire her for putting on so much weight.”

Trump commented that despite wanting to save her job, he never really spoke to her.

“I’ll bet you if you put up and added up all the time I spoke to her, it was probably less than five minutes,” he said according to various reports.

“I had nothing to do with this person.”

Shortly after the debate, Clinton's campaign released a video in which Venezuelan-born Machado says she was scared of and intimidated by Trump.

"He'd yell at me all the time. He'd tell me 'You look ugly,' or 'You look fat,'" she says.

Trump and Clinton shake hands before the debate. Photo: AP
Trump and Clinton shake hands before the debate. Photo: AP
Republican nominee Donald Trump speaks to the nation. Photo: AP
Republican nominee Donald Trump speaks to the nation. Photo: AP

"He bears many grudges, and harbours a deep racism, and he is convinced that there are lesser human beings than him."

Machado is now ironically a vocal Clinton supporter and has also spoken out recently about the comments at the time that were made by Trump.

Throughout his campaign Trump has faced intense scrutiny over his treatment of women, and Clinton assailed her rival on the issue.

"This is a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dogs, and somebody who has said pregnancy is an inconvenience to employers, who has said women don't deserve equal pay unless they do as good a job as men," Clinton said.

News break – September 29