In the wee hours of Friday morning, Donald Trump embarked on a tweetstorm attacking “disgusting” former Miss Universe Alicia Machado and claiming that she has a “sex tape.”
In his series of tweets that began around 3:20 a.m. ET, Trump also lashed out at media reports using anonymous sources inside his campaign.
Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U. Hillary floated her as an “angel” without checking her past, which is terrible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016
Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016
Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016
It’s not clear what exactly Trump was referring to by Machado’s “sex tape.” Machado starred in a risqué Spanish reality television show in 2005. Since Machado’s experience with Trump resurfaced this week, conservative news sites have pushed reports that Machado appeared in porn films. However, the website Snopes determined that Machado does not appear in the porn videos referenced, but that she did pose for Playboy. The Daily Beast also reported that Machado does not appear to be featured in the porn films.
After she won the Miss Universe crown in the 1990s, Trump mocked Machado for gaining weight and turned her weight-loss regimen into a media spectacle. Hillary Clinton resurfaced Trump’s past treatment of Machado during the first presidential debate, noting that he called her “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping.”
Trump then doubled down on his fat-shaming of Machado, saying that she “gained a massive amount of weight” and defended his treatment of her by claiming that he saved her job.
The Republican nominee’s flurry of tweets in the middle of the night also included a tweet accusing the media of peddling lies by using fake anonymous sources, perhaps a reference to a New York Times report that his advisers were unhappy with his debate performance.
Anytime you see a story about me or my campaign saying “sources said,” DO NOT believe it. There are no sources, they are just made up lies!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016
