Doubles down on fat-shaming Alicia Machado after debate, tells followers to 'check out sex tape'

After Hillary Clinton highlighted Trump's cruel treatment of 1996 Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado during the September 26 debate, Trump spent the next several days escalating his attacks. On September 27, he appeared on Fox and Friends and defended calling her 'Miss Piggy,' saying 'She gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem' and 'she was the worst we ever had, the worst, the absolute worst.' Rather than apologize, he continued attacking her daily. On September 30, he sent early morning tweets imploring people to 'check out sex tape' and attacking her character. The sustained attacks on a private citizen who had become a naturalized U.S. citizen and registered to vote showcased Trump's vindictiveness, misogyny, and inability to let go of slights, turning what could have been a brief controversy into a multi-day news cycle that alienated female voters weeks before the election.

"She gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem." — September 27, 2016 Fox and Friends interview defending his treatment of Alicia Machado