Former Miss Universe strikes at Trump for insultWashington, Sep 28 (AZINS) 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."

When asked about Trump pointing to an incident in 1998 in Venezuela where she was accused of driving a getaway car from a murder scene, Machado responded: "He can say whatever he wants to say. I don't care."

"You know, I have my past, of course everybody has a past. And I'm no saint girl. But that is not the point now... (Trump) was really rude with me, he tried to destroy my self-esteem. And now I'm a voice in the Latin community. I'm in a great moment in my life and I have a very clear life. And I can show my taxes."

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump refused to back down from his criticism of Machado, telling "Fox and Friends" in an interview that she had "gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem".

"She was the winner and you know, she gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem. We had a real problem," Trump said.

"Not only that, her attitude, and we had a real problem with her, so Hillary went back into the years and she found this girl -- this was many years ago. And found the girl and talked about her like she was Mother Theresa. And it wasn't quite that way but that's OK. Hillary has to do what she has to do."