I think he wanted to fit that in somewhere in the debate, as it is likely to start a discussion of whether she really is nasty, and there are plenty of accounts of her nastiness that can be brought forth.
Yes, this is definitely trending as a meme, but to whose benefit. Woman are now buying t-shirts saying I’m a Nasty Woman, and Janet Jacksons song “Nasty” has had a 250% increase in sales.