US presidential candidate Donald Trump called the winner of his first Miss Universe pageant a pig and bullied her for gaining weight, Hillary Clinton said during the first US presidential debate.
The former secretary of state used the fiery showdown to focus once again on Mr Trump's appalling record of speaking about women.
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Alicia Machado: Trump's 'Miss Piggy'
Hillary Clinton spoke of her during the first US presidential debate, invoking Donald Trump's record of speaking about women. Who is Machado and why has she become such a thorn in Trump's side?
Close to the end of the 95-minute televised sparring session, Mrs Clinton reminded the audience the Republican candidate is "a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dogs".
She then invoked Alicia Machado.
Ms Machado, from Venezuela, was just 19 when she won the 1996 Miss Universe pageant, the first run by Mr Trump. Soon after, she gained weight, and - she says - bullying from Mr Trump followed.
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
Ms Machado told Inside Edition in May that Mr Trump bullied her all the time, calling her "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping", the latter an apparent reference to her being Latina.
The television program broadcast footage of Mr Trump at the time, speaking to a press pack as Ms Machado worked out with a personal trainer and rode an exercise bike.
![Alicia Machado, in May 2016, says Donald Trump bullied her about her weight.](/web/20160928223540im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/p/t/j/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.grpvys.png/1475044143768.jpg)
"She weighed 118 pounds or 117 pounds [53kg], and she went up to 160 or 70," Mr Trump said. "So this is somebody that likes to eat."
Ms Machado said such comments made her feel depressed and triggered an eating disorder. She said Mr Trump was "not a good person".
![Alicia Machado (centre) at the 1996 Miss Universe pageant, where she was crowned the winner.](/web/20160928223540im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/p/t/j/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.grpvys.png/1475044143641.jpg)
The 39-year-old became a US citizen earlier this year and has been campaigning for Mrs Clinton in the presidential race.
Her name was highlighted on the world stage when Mrs Clinton said "one of the worst things" Mr Trump has said "was about a woman in a beauty contest".
![Clinton and Trump shook hands, then the gloves were off.](/web/20160928223540im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/p/o/3/n/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.grpvys.png/1475021389882.jpg)
"He loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them," Mrs Clinton said.
"He called this woman 'Miss Piggy'. Then he called her 'Miss Housekeeping', because she was Latina.
"Donald, she has a name. Her name is Alicia Machado. And she has become a US citizen, and you can bet she's going to vote this November."
Ms Machado thanked Mrs Clinton on social media, posting a tweet to confirm that she was voting - the Democratic nominee.
I received my passport ! I'm ready to vote For my country for you @HillaryClinton for my daughter For women workers pic.twitter.com/U5lSwWxiHc
— Alicia Machado (@machadooficial) September 27, 2016
In his immediate debate response, Mr Trump repeatedly interjected: "Where did you find this?" before claiming Mrs Clinton was hitting him with "tremendous" commercials then criticising comedian Rosie O'Donnell, saying she "deserves" his previous comments that she is a "pig", a "total degenerate", and a "slob".
"I said very tough things to her, and I think everybody would agree that she deserves it and nobody feels sorry for her," Mr Trump said.
The next morning, he phoned in to news program Fox & Friends to double down on his past comments.
"I know that person, she was a Miss Universe person and she was the worst we ever had - the worst, the absolute worst," Mr Trump said.
"She was the winner and she gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem."
DEBATE BY NUMBERS
2: Times Donald Trump used his catch phrase 'Make America Great again'
43: Times Trump spoke over Clinton
5: Times Hillary Clinton spoke over Trump
42: Per cent of the time Clinton spoke
58: Per cent of the time Trump spoke
13: Times Trump used the word "tremendous"
2: Times Clinton used the phrase "trumped-up"
90: Minutes scheduled for the debate
95: Minutes the debate actually went for
4: Times Trump denied he said climate change was a hoax created by China
85,273: Number of times Donald Trump's November 2012 tweet, "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese", had been retweeted by Tuesday afternoon. Twitter announced it was the most-retweeted during the debate.