Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he was trying to save the job of then-Miss Universe Alicia Machado when he worked with her on losing weight after she gained 60 pounds.
Trump has been under fire after Machado made media rounds Tuesday saying Trump called her "Miss Piggy" in reference to her weight and "Miss Housekeeping" in reference to her Latin heritage. Trump denied the allegations, though he did publicly call her an "eating machine" and dragged the press along to watch Machado work out at a gym.
Machado, from Venezuela, but now an American citizen, was the first Miss Universe crowned after Trump bought the pageant.
Appearing Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," Trump noted Machado was contractually obligated to maintain her weight during her reign as Miss Universe, and Trump said many in the organization wanted to fire her.
Instead, he convinced them to let her lose weight, he said.
"The company itself wanted to fire her. I saved her job," Trump said, adding he probably never spoke to Machado more than five minutes total.
"I saved her job," he said. "I did that with a number of young ladies. . . . Look what I get out of it? I get nothing."
On the subject of San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Trump said he has not heard his comments Trump knows nothing about race. But he said he has a right to protest the National Anthem before NFL games if he wishes.
Host Bill O'Reilly pressed Trump on whether he would fire Kaepernick if he owned the team.
"I wouldn't be happy, they are paying him all of this money," Trump said. "And I think what he is doing is very bad for the spirit of the country."
When O'Reilly pressed Trump further on whether he would fire Kaepernick, he replied, "Let's keep the headlines down to a minimum."
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