Trump Called out for Appearing to Mock Disability

Trump Called out for Appearing to Mock Disability
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop Monday, Nov. 16, 2015, in Knoxville, Tenn. AP Photo/Wade Payne
The Associated Press
Updated:

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Eric Schultz)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Birmingham, Ala. AP Photo/Eric Schultz

In 2001, Kovaleski, then with The Washington Post, and another Post journalist wrote a week after the 9/11 attacks about authorities in New Jersey detaining and questioning “a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks.” The story did not suggest “thousands” were celebrating, as Trump claimed, and a story then by The Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, said the reports of such celebrations by Muslims proved unfounded.

Even so, Trump has pointed to the Post story as backing up his claim and took issue with Kovaleski’s recent statement that he did not remember anyone alleging that large numbers of Muslims were celebrating.

“Written by a nice reporter,” Trump said in the speech. “Now the poor guy, you oughta see this guy — uh, I don’t know what I said, uh, I don’t remember. He’s going like, I don’t remember.” His voice took a mocking tone, too.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, greet each other on stage during a rally organized by Tea Party Patriots in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, to oppose the Iran nuclear agreement. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, greet each other on stage during a rally organized by Tea Party Patriots in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, to oppose the Iran nuclear agreement. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

The Times expressed outrage afterward that Trump would “ridicule the appearance of one of our reporters.”

Jay Ruderman of the Ruderman Family Foundation in Boston said Thursday the Republican presidential contender should apologize to Kovaleski and the public.

Ruderman said Trump would benefit from a “series of sensitivity training sessions” and offered to provide them.

“It is unacceptable for a child to mock another child’s disability on the playground, never mind a presidential candidate mocking someone’s disability as part of a national political discourse,” he said.