Newt Gingrich Keynotes Log Cabin Event, Cracks Up Room With “Sexist” Joke About Former Miss Universe

Politico reports:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich backed up Donald Trump’s weight-based attacks against a former pageant winner, telling an audience Wednesday night that “you’re not supposed to gain 60 pounds during the year that you’re Miss Universe.”

The woman in question is former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who was thrust into the spotlight of the presidential election at Monday night’s debate when Hillary Clinton brought up Trump’s long history of derogatory remarks about women. The former secretary of state said Trump had called Machado “Miss Piggy,” because he believed she gained too much weight after winning her crown, and “Miss Housekeeping,” a dig at her Hispanic heritage.

Speaking to the Log Cabin Republicans at a dinner in Washington, Gingrich echoed Trump’s attacks, eliciting laughter from the room. “You’re not supposed to gain 60 pounds during the year that you’re Miss Universe,” he said. “Not fair. Even my act of saying that is sexist and proves I’m not being sensitive.”

In an interview with Cosmopolitan Magazine published this week, Machado said never gained as much weight as Trump said she did and added that his name-calling triggered a relapse in her bulimia that took her years to overcome. She said she became a U.S. citizen this past August specifically so she could vote against Trump.