Former Miss Universe strikes at Don for insult

Former "Miss Universe" Alicia Machado has struck back against insults hurled at her by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying that he was "aggressive" and "really rude".

Machado, who represented Venezuela in Trump's 1996 "Miss Universe" competition, said the Republican called her "Miss Housekeeping" and "Miss Piggy" when she gained weight after winning the pageant, CNN reported.

"I know what I left with him and he knows, too. And he was really aggressive. He was really rude. He was a bad person with me," she told CNN.

"We cannot accept no more insults for my Latin community. No more insults for the women. I know very well Trump and I can see the same person that I met 20 years ago."

At the presidential debate on Monday, Clinton referred to Machado to make a bigger point to Trump about his public treatment of women -which has become a key campaign issue that hits on his vulnerabilities with both Hispanics and women.

"And one of the worst things he said was about a woman in a beauty contest -- he loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them -- and he called this woman 'Miss Piggy', then he called her 'Miss Housekeeping' because she was Latina," Clinton said.

"Donald, she has a name. Her name is Alicia Machado. And she has become a US citizen and you can bet she is going to vote this November."