Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich arrives to introduce Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Ft. Myers, Fla. | AP Photo Gingrich on former Miss Universe: 'You’re not supposed to gain 60 pounds'

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich backed up Donald Trump’s weight-based attacks against a former pageant winner, telling an audience Wednesday night that “you’re not supposed to gain 60 pounds during the year that you’re Miss Universe.”

The woman in question is former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who was thrust into the spotlight of the presidential election at Monday night’s debate when Hillary Clinton brought up Trump’s long history of derogatory remarks about women. The former secretary of state said Trump had called Machado “Miss Piggy,” because he believed she gained too much weight after winning her crown, and “Miss Housekeeping,” a dig at her Hispanic heritage.


“Donald, she has a name. Her name is Alicia Machado,” Clinton said at the debate. “And she has become a U.S. citizen and you can bet she is going to vote this November."

Trump admitted in an interview on Fox News the next morning that Clinton’s decision to recall his history with Machado got under his skin a little bit, but also doubled down on his attacks against her weight. He said Machado was “the worst we ever had” at the Miss Universe pageant because “she gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem.”

Speaking to the Log Cabin Republicans at a dinner in Washington, Gingrich echoed Trump’s attacks, eliciting laughter from the room.

“You’re not supposed to gain 60 pounds during the year that you’re Miss Universe,” he said. “Not fair. Even my act of saying that is sexist and proves I’m not being sensitive.”

In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine published this week, Machado said she had never gained as much weight as Trump said she had and added that his name-calling triggered a relapse in her bulimia that took her years to overcome. She said she became a U.S. citizen this past August specifically so she could vote against Trump.

Despite Machado’s claim that Trump was cruel to her during her tenure as Miss Universe, the Manhattan billionaire said Wednesday night that the beauty queen actually owed him thanks for protecting her.

"I saved her job because they wanted to fire her for putting on so much weight," Trump told Fox News’ Bill O'Reilly in a taped interview that aired Wednesday night. "And it is a beauty contest. You know, I mean, say what you want, Bill, I mean, they know what they're getting into. It's a beauty contest."

Gingrich, however, came under fire from Clinton's campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri, who tweeted: "I am sorry, I can't get past this. Newt Gingrich is criticizing someone for their weight."



I am sorry, I can't get past this. Newt Gingrich is criticizing someone for their weight. https://t.co/pwzkehlFx6 — Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) September 29, 2016