"Miss Housekeeping."
That's what former Miss Universe Alicia Machado said Donald Trump used to call her in front of his friends.
Machado, who won the beauty pageant in 1996, the year Trump took ownership of it, shared her experience with the presumptive GOP nominee at a press conference this week in Arlington, VA, where she helped launch a new initiative marking "Donald Trump's Year of Hate" on the anniversary of his candidacy. Joining her was civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, as well as local elected officials, representatives from advocacy group People for the American Way, and Latinx service organization CASA.
“I met Mr. Trump when I became Miss Universe," Machado explained. "He always treated me rudely. I could share a thousand stories, but I will only speak about one episode: 'Miss Housekeeping.' That’s [what] he called me in front of his friends to make fun of me."
In a way, Machado's story represents a nexus of Trump's worst characteristics: bigotry, misogyny and a contempt for those on the other side of the class divide.
"It shows that he doesn’t understand the value of being a domestic worker," she said. "These are the women who work hard, put their kids through college, and raised kids to be great citizens."
Speaking with Latin Times earlier this week, Machado compared Trump to former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, describing him as "a demagogue, racist, egocentric, misogynist, demeaning man, who lacks cultural and political knowledge."
According to a release from People for the American Way, "Donald Trump's Year of Hate" will be marked by a four week run of Spanish-language ads highlighting some of Trump's most incendiary rhetoric.
In one ad, a voice is heard telling listeners in Spanish that Donald Trump intends to take America "down, down, down to a dark place where intolerance, racism, and hate rule." (translation via PFAW)
According to PFAW, the ads will run on TV in Nevada and Virginia, and digitally in those states, as well as in Colorado, North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
"One year ago, Donald Trump went down that escalator to declare his candidacy and declare his war on Latinos," Lizet Ocampo, director of Latinos Vote! and manager of political campaigns for People For the American Way, said in a statement. "Trump is the most hateful, anti-immigrant presidential candidate that any of us have ever seen. His hate harms every one of us and goes against the American values of welcoming immigrants and celebrating diversity. Thankfully, more and more of us are registering to vote every year, and we have the power to decide the outcome of this election."
For Machado, Trump's ascendency was the inspiration for something she'd put off for nearly 20 years since moving to the United States: Becoming a citizen.
"It was like a great monster reappearing in my life,” she told Think Progress. “In the beginning, I thought there was no way this loco will ever win. But after the primaries I realized I need to vote. I can’t invite my community to step up if I won’t do it myself." Machado has reportedly passed her citizenship test, and is now waiting to receive her passport.
She's not alone. As Fusion noted in April, tens of thousands of Latinx immigrants have begun the process of applying for citizenship in response to Trump's campaign.
“I share this story with you to show you who Mr. Trump is, and how he sees us," Machado said during the press conference. "We don’t need a businessperson who divides our country. We need someone with a good heart. Therefore, I urge you today to vote. To register. To become a citizen."