NEW YORK: Donald Trump shamed a former beauty pageant winner Friday for her objectionable history, in an early-morning tweet-storm that dragged him further away from his campaign’s efforts to broaden its appeal to women.
A day after he injected former President Bill Clinton’s dalliances into the campaign, Trump accused Hillary Clinton’s campaign of helping 1996 Miss Universe Alicia Machado get US citizenship, but offered no proof. He said Machado had a “terrible” past that a “duped” Clinton had overlooked before holding her up in the first presidential debate.
“Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting Alicia become a US citizen so she could use her in the debate?” read a missive from Trump posted on his verified Twitter account.
Shaming Machado over intimate details from her past was particularly risky as Trump tries win over more female voters, many of whom are turned off by such personal attacks. It also risks calling further attention to the thrice-married Trump’s own history with women.
The outburst was an extreme reminder of how Trump has seemed unable to restrain himself from veering into unhelpful territory, even with the election less than 40 days away. Trump’s allies have implored him to stick to attacks on Clinton over her family foundation, her e-mails or her long history as a political insider, critiques that fall further out of view whenever Trump sparks a new controversy.
A day after he injected former President Bill Clinton’s dalliances into the campaign, Trump accused Hillary Clinton’s campaign of helping 1996 Miss Universe Alicia Machado get US citizenship, but offered no proof. He said Machado had a “terrible” past that a “duped” Clinton had overlooked before holding her up in the first presidential debate.
“Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting Alicia become a US citizen so she could use her in the debate?” read a missive from Trump posted on his verified Twitter account.
Shaming Machado over intimate details from her past was particularly risky as Trump tries win over more female voters, many of whom are turned off by such personal attacks. It also risks calling further attention to the thrice-married Trump’s own history with women.
The outburst was an extreme reminder of how Trump has seemed unable to restrain himself from veering into unhelpful territory, even with the election less than 40 days away. Trump’s allies have implored him to stick to attacks on Clinton over her family foundation, her e-mails or her long history as a political insider, critiques that fall further out of view whenever Trump sparks a new controversy.
