Yes, Donald Trump absolutely, unequivocally and 100% most certainly did mock a disabled reporter.
He mocked the reporter--whose name is Serge Kovaleski, who has a condition called anthrogryposis which affects his upper limbs, and who helped contribute to a Pulitzer Prize winning story for the New York Times--because Kovaleski dared give an account of the September 11th attacks that was different than what Donald Trump was telling the nation (which was that "thousand and thousands" of Muslims in New Jersey watched and cheered as the World Trade Center collapsed.)
Following Trump's bizarre claims about the reactions of Muslim-Americans to 9/11, Kovaleski--who reported on the attacks back in 2001--issued a written statement that “I certainly do not remember anyone saying that thousands or even hundreds of people were celebrating. That was not the case, as best as I can remember.”
At a November 25, 2015 campaign rally in South Carolina, Trump blasted Kovaleski in front of his supporters, saying, "You’ve got to see this guy: 'Uhh, I don't know what I said. Uhh, I don't remember,' he's going like 'I don't remember. Maybe that's what I said.'" And Trump infamously used an affected voice with wild, bent hand gestures stating that.
That's both mockery and flat out lies right there. The use of the affected voice and hand gestures as well as the bizarre non-quote, when Kovaleski's reasoned and measured statement was written and not on TV or radio, it was meant to ridicule and demean Kovaleski.
And for what? Simply because he dared give an account that was far different than that of Trump's wildly unsubstantiated account. Simply because he dared not to agree with Trump. Trump mocked Kovaleski just like he mocked Meryl Streep and literally hundreds of other people....because they crossed his myopic, ego-driven worldview and therefore were deemed worthy of base ridicule.
So immediately off the bat, when someone claims Trump never mocked Kovaleski, they are flat out lying. What we saw right there was undoubtedly cruel and unwarranted ridicule. He can't lie his way out of that. The whole world saw it take place.
Now, what some more nuanced apologists for the Madman have claimed is that Trump never actually mocked Kovaleski's condition, that he's used similar gestures at least three times as to other people who don't have anthrogryposis.
However, that too does not pass the smell test.
Having seen video of two of those other Trump targets--a bank president and a general--the physical gestures he used were nowhere near as pronounced and exaggerated like he used for Kovaleski. The third instance--when Trump attacked rival Ted Cruz--did seem to resemble his mockery of Kovaleski. But it took place three months after the South Carolina incident, to which Trump had already been highly criticized. So either Trump intentionally mimicked his attack on Kovaleski when attacking Cruz as a smokescreen to claim that's how he goes after everyone, disabled or not, or he simply subconsciously chose to adopt his Kovaleski mockery as his default attack on anyone who he sees fit going after.
But going back to his attack on Kovaleski, one important thing bears noting. As it relates to Kovaleski, Trump says, "You got to see this guy." As if Kovaleski verbally made his statements, which he did not. So he immediately is drawing attention to a physical appearance by Kovaleski that never actually took place. And then he proceeds to mangle Kovaleski's statement with his affected voice and flailing arm gestures.
So it wasn't just about what was said, but who said it and how Trump wanted his audience to perceive the person who said as looking and sounding. And of course, the intention here was to make Kovaleski look both like an imbecile (which most certainly was not the case) as well as someone who was not in full motor control of his body (which unfortunately is the case).
Trump mocked Kovaleski, and he mocked his disability. Don't let anyone gaslight you or the American public and tell us anything different.
And this cruel, narcissistic man who time after time fails to respect others is the same person we are going to be told we need to respect. I, for one, feel that such respect is not warranted in the least.
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