Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday blasted the former Miss Universe who says Mr. Trump humiliated her by talking about her gaining weight after she won the 1996 crown, saying Hillary Clinton didn’t do her due diligence on the “disgusting” Alicia Machado and her checkered past.

“Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U. Hillary floated her as an ‘angel’ without checking her past, which is terrible!” Mr. Trump tweeted.

“Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con,” he tweeted.

Mr. Trump also questioned whether Mrs. Clinton specifically helped Ms. Machado, who is from Venezuela, become a U.S. citizen so she could bring her up during the debate.

“Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?” Mr. Trump tweeted.

Mrs. Clinton highlighted Ms. Machado during Monday’s debate, saying Mr. Trump called her “Miss Piggy” after she put on weight following her 1996 win and Miss Housekeeping because she is Latina.

The Trump campaign, in turn, has dismissed Ms. Machado as someone who is disgruntled and has an ax to grind. Mr. Trump also said on Fox News he saved Ms. Machado’s job when others wanted to fire her for putting on weight.

The “sex tape” reference appears to be an allusion to an appearance Ms. Machado reportedly made on a reality TV show.

The Associated Press also reported in 1998 that Ms. Machado was accused of driving a car in which her boyfriend sped away from the scene where his brother-in-law was shot near a church, and that a judge later accused Ms. Machado of threatening to kill him for indicting her boyfriend for attempted murder.

“I have my past. Of course. Everybody has. Everybody has a past. And I’m not a saint girl,” Ms. Machado told CNN this week. “That moment in Venezuela was wrong, was another speculation about my life because I’m a really famous person in my country, because I’m an actress there.”

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