If it’s a lie too vile to utter aloud, count on Mr. Trump to say it, often.
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Leading Republican presidential aspirant Donald Trump has triggered yet another controversy by mocking a journalist’s physical disability during a campaign rally, drawing rebuke from many.
In 2012, Katrina Pierson, who now serves as Trump campaign spokeswoman, drew fire as she supported Ted Cruz’s Senate bid.
Trump, front-runner for his party’s nomination for the November, 2016 election, was defending his unsubstantiated assertions that thousands of Muslims were seen in New Jersey cheering the collapse of the Twin Towers.
Trump’s cruel impression of Kovaleski has been roundly condemned, with the exception of MSNBC host Joe Scarborough who found it amusing, causing the candidate to do damage control – by attacking the reporter once again.
Kovaleski, now a reporter for the New York Times, told the Post on Monday that he does “not remember anyone saying that thousands or even hundreds of people were celebrating”.
Trump was referring to journalist Serge Kovaleski, who has a chronic condition that affects how his arms move.
“Uhh I don’t know what I said”. Kovaleski said he’s sure Trump remembers him because he covered Trump between 1987 and 1993 as a reporter for the New York Daily News. Instead he recently took to Twitter to attack the New York Times. Trump called Kovaleski “a nice reporter” but then chides him for saying he couldn’t recall anyone celebrating. “He’s going, ‘I don’t remember”.
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Kovaleski suffers from arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that limits the movement of the joints and weakens the muscles around them. “Washington Post”, Trump said. “I’ve interviewed him in his office”. “Our presidential candidates should be moral examples for all Americans and not disparage people with disabilities, who make up twenty percent of the American population”. Trump responded, “I went out, I made a fortune, a big fortune, a tremendous fortune …” Trump has used those claims in his vocal response to the recent Islamic State (ISIS) attacks, despite Kovaleski walking back his previous report. The New York Times called the mockery “outrageous” in a statement to Politico, and disgust for Trump quickly mounted on social media, including from Republicans and Trump fans.
