It was four months ago, during the presidential election campaigning ahead of the 2016 American federal election, that some headlines involving Donald Trump focused on attitudes toward women. Marlene Lenthang wrote an article at People.com titled "Miss USA on Stereotypes About Beauty Pageant Contestants" (October 6, 2016). In the article, Lenthang comments on Trump and competitors in beauty pageants: "Pageant contestants are targets for harsh criticism," Lenthang wrote, "Donald Trump's body shaming comments about former Miss Universe Alicia Machado are a high-profile example."
Today in Trump's history -- Machado mistake
It was 20 years ago today that Trump's name was involved in news that had to do with Alicia Machado.
In the February 6th, 1997 issue of "The Burlington Hawk Eye" an Associated Press article appeared (pg. 7A). The article, which was called "Miss Hawaii wins Miss USA," recaps how contestants in the 1997 Miss USA pageant would handle criticism or press coverage about weight gains that may affect them in the future. Miss Hawaii, a woman named Brook Lee, is reported to have received "big cheers from the audience" for her response.
Trump wanted Machado on a diet
The unnamed author of the article stated that the question at the 1997 pageant regarding body fat "was prompted by Alicia Machado," the 1996 winner of the Miss Universe title. Machado, according to the article subsequently "gained an undisclosed amount (of weight)" after winning the Miss Universe pageant.
Donald Trump, "who bought half of the Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants," is mentioned in the article at this point. He "refused to take away (Machado's) crown, but said he would put her on a diet and workouts so that she could 'serve as an example to others.'"
These were the comments that played a part in Donald Trump's portrayal as a male chauvinist in the lead-up to the November 2016 election. Additional to the Machado incident there were also more serious matters involving allegations of sexual misconduct involving the man who is now the president.
