Trump continues to lash out at Alicia Machado: 'I saved her job because they wanted to fire her for putting on so much weight'

Fox News/Screenshot

Donald Trump on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News September 28.

Donald Trump insists he saved the crown of former Miss Universe, Alicia Machado, who has said he called her "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping."

Hillary Clinton mentioned Machado at the presidential debate Monday night as an example of a woman Trump has mistreated.

The Republican presidential nominee spoke to Bill O'Reilly on Fox News Wednesday night, insisting he barely knew Machado, but saved her job nonetheless.

"This is a person, Bill, that was the first one under my ownership, she did not do well, she had a lot of difficulties, and you know, they wanted to fire her. The company itself wanted to fire her. I saved her job," Trump said. "I bet you if you added up all the time I spoke to her, it was probably less than five minutes. I had nothing to do with this person, but they wanted to fire her; I saved her job, because I said that's gonna be ruinous. And I've done that with a number of the young ladies, where I've saved their jobs. And you know what happened? Look what I get out of it. I get nothing."

Machado said Trump called her "Miss Piggy" after she gained weight. She had starved herself before the pageant, Machado told The Washington Post, and reached a healthy weight after she won in 1996.

Trump told O'Reilly that the weight gain was the reason why the Miss Universe pageant allegedly wanted to fire Machado.

"I saved her job because they wanted to fire her for putting on so much weight," Trump said. "They know what they're getting into; it's a beauty contest. And I said don't do that; let her try and lose the weight."

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Alicia Machado campaigns for Hillary Clinton on August 20, 2016 in Miami, Florida.

At the debate Monday night, Clinton told Machado's story:

"One of the worst things he said was about a woman in a beauty contest. He loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them. And he called this woman 'Miss Piggy.' Then he called her 'Miss Housekeeping,' because she was Latina. Donald, she has a name," Clinton said as Trump interrupted her. "Her name is Alicia Machado. And she has become a US citizen, and you can bet she's going to vote this November."

Trump agreed with O'Reilly Wednesday night that this was a "cheap shot" from Clinton, and mentioned new allegations that are surfacing about Machado.

"Now, a lot of things are coming out that I wasn't aware of. They say she threatened the life of a judge," Trump said. "If that turns out to be true ... I think it's going to make Hillary look extremely bad."

Earlier in the day, Machado didn't deny allegations that she drove the getaway car from a murder scene, and threatened to kill the judge who indicted her then-boyfriend for the attempted murder.

"You know, I have my past," she told Anderson Cooper on CNN. "Of course, everybody has a past. I'm not a saint girl. But that is not the point now."

Machado became a US citizen in August, has campaigned for Clinton, and plans to vote for her on November 8.

The former Miss Universe - who has since become a successful actress, singer, and entrepreneur - didn't say anything about Trump's new line of attack on Twitter Wednesday night.

Watch the full Fox News interview below: