Kovaleski suffers from arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that affects joint movement, limiting usage of his hands. Kovaleski said in a recent interview that he did “not recall anyone saying there were thousands, or even hundreds of people celebrating”.
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In a speech on Tuesday in South Carolina, Mr Trump said: “Poor guy, you oughta see this guy”.
If there’s one thing you can say for Trump it’s that he never, ever backs down, which will either make him an excellent president or the reason America falls and is reborn as the twelve districts forced to participate in The Hunger Games. He’s going like ‘I don’t remember. After Kovaleski backed off on parts of his original coverage and impressions of the events, Trump mocked him at one of his rallies.
A journalists’ association has demanded that GOP front-runner Donald Trump apologize for mocking a New York Times reporter’s handicap. And, according to Kovaleski’s employer (via Politico), Trump’s action at the rally and words toward the reporter are being called “despicable”.
Instead, Trump said, his gesticulating was simply “trying to show somebody groveling to take back the statement he made”.
“I do not know the reporter for the @nytimes, or what he looks like”, he wrote.
The Times told The Associated Press that the paper is shocked Trump would “ridicule the appearance of one of our reporters”.
Donald Trump said he couldn’t have been making fun of a reporter’s disability because he doesn’t know the man. Not so, says the reporter.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump faced heavy criticism this week for his comments and apparent mocking of a reporter for the New York Times who is disabled. “What really happened? I think it’s very important for me to say”.
Of course, if it wasn’t Kovaleski, who was Trump mocking? It began on Saturday, when Trump claimed that “thousands and thousands” of people were seen cheering in New Jersey after seeing the World Trade Center buildings crumble in the 9/11 attacks.
Trump said Friday evening that he has met “thousands of reporters” in his career. “The New York Times has become more and more irrelevant and rapidly becoming a total joke – sad!”
He wrote: “If Mr. Kovaleski is handicapped, I would not know, because I do not know what he looks like”. I’ll say “you’re looking good or are you feeling good, how are you doing, ‘ and somebody could say that’s a lie or it’s a fib, if they don’t look good, but, you know, I do it. I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings”.
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“Somebody at the financially failing and totally biased New York Times said that, over the years, I have met Mr. Kovaleski. Uh I don’t remember”, Trump stated in a mocking tone while he imitated Kovaleski, who has visibly limited flexibility in his arms.
