Elections

Trump's Miss Universe 'sex tape' claim renews outrage about sexism

Donald Trump
Jewel Samad | AFP | Getty Images

Donald Trump's latest overnight Twitter rant Friday targeted frequent foes in Hillary Clinton, the media and former Miss Universe Alicia Machado.

In slamming Clinton's "bad judgement (sic)" for using Machado in her attacks on Trump, Trump says to "check out" Machado's "sex tape and past" and calls her "disgusting." The video Trump references apparently stems from a Mexican reality television show, and NBC News has not verified its authenticity.

The rumor debunking site Snopes adds that Machado appeared in a Playboy spread but says online rumors about her appearing in pornographic films are not true.

Clinton brought up Machado in Monday night's first presidential debate to highlight Trump's past comments that many considered disrespectful to women and Hispanics. His late-night tweets only resurrected those concerns.

Trump not only tried to invalidate Machado's claims by bringing up her sexuality, but also suggested Clinton helped Machado become a U.S. citizen "so she could use her in the debate," though there is no evidence to support that.

Machado on Friday shared an Instagram post that showed her draped in an American flag, saying Trump had again tried to discredit and demoralize a woman.

Clinton's account tweeted on Friday asking, "What kind of man stays up all night to smear a woman with lies and conspiracy theories?"

Tweet