ARLINGTON, Va. (WUSA9) -- She says she was his first Miss Universe and that he bullied her. Now Alicia Machado is fighting back and attended her first anti-Trump rally in Arlington on Wednesday.

She first came forward with the claims last month when her publicist says the New York Times contacted Machado for a story on how Donald Trump treats women in the workplace. It was then the former Miss Universe alleged she was called “Miss Piggy” over a weight gain and “Miss Housekeeping” because of how she speaks English.

Machado didn’t want to speak about the “Miss Piggy” comment in Wednesday, but did say part of the reason she decided to share her story is because she wants to set an example for her daughter.

"Because I'm a mother. I'm a Latina, I love this country, I living in this country more than 20 years. My daughter, she born here, she looks like you and I don't think this guy can be president. He's not a good person,” Machado said starting to become emotional.
You could hear it in her voice, 20 years later it was still hard for the 1996 Miss Universe to talk about how she felt working with the Republican nominee, Donald Trump. Machado told the New York Times she developed serious eating disorders and needed therapy after she says Donald Trump publicly shamed her for gaining weight after her win. Inside Edition resurfaced video where Trump invited cameras to come watch her work out. In an old interview Trump talks about her weight gain and says towards the end, “so this is somebody that likes to eat.”
"It was a bad dream for me,” Machado said, when she first learned Donald Trump had announced his run for President. She accused Trump of repeated attacks against multiple minority groups since.

Now’s the former Miss Universe has decided to fight back. In a small Hispanic restaurant in Arlington, Machado told a gaggle of reporters, what she first thought was an insult, Trump calling her Miss Housekeeping because of her English, is now an honor.

"Domestic Women are the ones who work hard put their kids through college, put their kids to be great citizens,” she said.

Machado entered the ‘political ring’ to mark the one year of Donald Trump’s campaign, which comes Thursday. Only at the rally, signs read in English and Spanish, ‘Donald Trump’s Year of Hate.’ Long-time civil rights activist and farm laborer leader, Dolores Huerta joined forces with Machado and Arlington politicians on Wednesday.

She told reporters in her many years of fighting discrimination, “I’ve never see anything like this,” and that she’s never seen, “any candidate so openly discriminatory.

“My mission is to share this experience,” said Machado, “He don't like the immigrants, he don't like anybody ... he don't like nobody are different to him."

Machado is encouraging everyone to vote or apply for U.S. citizenship so she can vote. From Venezuela, she has applied for U.S. citizenship and hopes to vote come November. She also laughed when asked if she’ll be voting for Trump.
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/former-miss-universe-fights-back-against-alleged-bullying-by-trump/245364824