During a fiery speech in support of Hillary Clinton last week, Alicia Machado declared that the 2016 race is “our election. This is our election, Latinos!”
“It’s really clear that he does not respect women. He just judges us on our looks,” Machado said during the Florida rally, her first joint appearance with Clinton. “He thinks he can do whatever he wants and get away with it.”
“Well, now I’m standing here on behalf of women and Latinos across the country…together we are going to say loudly and clearly: no Trump! He’s not getting away with it!”
Machado, long a star on Spanish-language television, has emerged as one of the pivotal figures in this Presidential election, following her revelations about Donald Trump’s abusive behavior during her year-long reign as Miss Universe.
Machado endured taunts of “Miss Housekeeping” and “Miss Piggy,” even being forced by Trump to work out in front of reporters. The abuse left her suffering from eating disorders for years.
Machado, though, rebounded, becoming an American citizen and full supporter of Clinton. An infuriated Trump, meanwhile, launched into days of false attacks against her.
Machado refused to back down, with Google searches for voter registration information surging in Latino areas of the country — “the Machado Effect,” the New York Times called it.
“He is wrong about both the women and the men of this country,” Machado said during her speech. “He has shown us who he is. Let us on Tuesday show him who we are.”
