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Machado hits back at Trump after candidate’s outburst

Alicia Machado spoke at a press conference in June to criticize Donald Trump.Luis Alonso Lugo/AP/file

The former Miss Universe who has been at the center of one of Donald Trump’s more recent scandals is hitting back at the Republican nominee after he doubled down on his attacks against her Friday.

Alicia Machado posted a nearly 350-word response to Trump’s early morning tweets, after the candidate sent an early morning tweetstorm that called on the American people to look for an alleged sex tape and shamed her for her sexual history.

“Through his campaign of hate, the Republican candidate has insisted on discrediting and demoralizing a woman, something that is definitely one of his more frightening characteristics,” Machado wrote in Spanish with a photo of her posing with the American flag.

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She also recalled her time as Miss Universe and Trump’s remarks about her weight, which came up during Monday night’s debate.

“When I was just a young woman, the current candidate publicly humiliated me, insulted me, disrespected me, as he usually did privately in the cruelest way.”

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"El candidato republicano y su equipo de campaña nuevamente están generando ataques, insultos e intentando revivir difamaciones y falsas acusaciones sobre mi vida. Todo eso con la finalidad de intimidarme, humillarme y desequilibrarme una vez más. Los ataques que han surgido son calumnias y mentiras baratas generadas con malas intenciones, que no tienen fundamento que han sido difundidas por medios amarillistas. Ésta, por supuesto, no es la primera vez que enfrento una situación así. Por medio de su campaña de odio, el candidato republicano insiste en desacreditar y desmoralizar a una mujer, lo que definitivamente es una de sus características más aterradoras. Con esto, busca distraer la atención de sus reales problemas y de su incapacidad para pretender ser el líder de este gran país. Cuando era apenas una jovencita, el ahora candidato, me humilló, me insultó, me irrespetó públicamente, como lo hacía usualmente de forma privada de la forma más cruel. Así como esto me pasó a mí, es claro a través de los años, que sus acciones y conductas se han repetido con otras mujeres durante décadas. Por lo tanto, seguiré de pie, compartiendo mi historia, mi apoyo absoluto a la señora Clinton en nombre de las mujeres, de mis hermanas, tías, abuelas, primas, amigas y la comunidad femenina. A mis latinas y en general, quiero agradecerles todo el apoyo, el amor y el respeto, a mi carrera, a mi persona como ser humano y a mi familia. Yo me hice ciudadana de este gran país porque aquí nació mi hija y porque quería ejercer todos mis derechos, entre ellos votar. Continuaré de pie, firme en mi experiencia vivida como Miss Universo y ustedes conmigo apoyándome. He estado tan complacida por tantas palabras amables, por tanto amor. Yo estoy centrándome en mi ocupada carrera, en mi labor de madre y voy a seguir dando pasos positivos para la comunidad latina, seguiré como activista en pro de los derechos de la mujer y el respeto que nos merecemos. Aprecio todo su amor y todo su apoyo nuevamente, gracias". Miles de bendiciones.

A post shared by Alicia Machado (@machadooficial) on

Democrat Hillary Clinton, whom Machado supports, also responded to her rival’s latest comments with a tweetstorm of her own, calling the remarks “unhinged, even for Trump.”

Trump’s tweets appeared to refer to footage from a Spanish reality show in 2005 in which Machado was a contestant and appeared on camera in bed with a male contestant. The show took place almost a decade after Trump invited reporters to watch Machado exercise after she won Miss Universe in 1996 and then gained what he’s recently described as “a massive amount of weight.”

The post-debate remarks about Machado have added to concerns that Trump is unable to let insults or criticisms go, even when it could be best to stay quiet.

Machado’s post translated into English:

The Republican candidate and his campaign team are again generating attacks, insults, and trying to revive defamations and false accusations about my life. All with the purpose of intimidating me, humiliating me, and upsetting me once again. The attacks that have emerged are cheap slanders and lies generated with bad intentions that do not have any foundation and that have been spread by sensational media. This, of course, is not the first time I have faced a situation like this. Through his campaign of hate, the Republican candidate has insisted on discrediting and demoralizing a woman, something that is definitely one of his more frightening characteristics. With this, he is looking to distract attention from his real problems and his incapacity to be the leader of this great country. When I was just a young woman, the current candidate publicly humiliated me, insulted me, disrespected me, as he usually did privately in the cruelest way . As it happened to me, it’s clear that after all these years, his actions and behaviors have been repeated with other women for decades. In the meantime, I will continue to stand, sharing my story, my absolute support for Mrs. Clinton on behalf of women, my sisters, aunts, grandmothers, cousins, friends, and the female community. To my Latinas and the public at large, I want to thank you for all of the support, love, and respect for my career, my humanity, and my family. I became a citizen of this great country because my daughter was born here and because I want to exercise all of my rights, voting among them. I will continue to stand, firm in my lived experience as Miss Universe, with you by my side supporting me. I have been grateful for such kind words, for such love. I am focusing on my career, being a mother, and I’m going to continue making positive steps for the Latino community, I will continue as an activist supporting women’s rights and the respect we deserve. Again, I appreciate all of your love and support, thank you. Many blessings.

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Read Clinton’s response:

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Material from the Associated Press was included in this report. Nicole Hernandez can be reached at nicole.hernandez@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @NRHSJax.