Hillary Clinton brought former Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado into the electoral limelight at the presidential debate on Monday, accusing Donald Trump of once having called Machado "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping." While in the moment Clinton's evocation worked to destabilize Trump, Machado is now under fire for comments she made about Trump's wife, Melania:
Though Melania, like her, is an immigrant and former model, Machado waves off the comparison immediately. As the wife of a political figure, Melania's job is "to help everybody around you," she said. "It's not to make yourself rich or more powerful." Melania made an appearance at the presidential debate but has largely ducked out of the spotlight since the RNC, where she was accused of plagiarizing parts of Michelle Obama’s speech in her own address. "I think I speak more English than her," Machado said. "I don't see anything about this girl. She's a doll. She's a decoration. That is how I see her." [Cosmopolitan]
Rumors have also come to the surface about Machado's alleged involvement in a murder plot; while admitting she has a past, she has called such stories "speculation."
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