Donald Trump unleashed a war of words with the media after he made fun of a physically disabled reporter who works for the New York Times. Days later, the businessman is doubling down against the newspaper.
During a campaign rally in South Carolina this week, the GOP presidential candidate responded to journalist Serge Kovaleski’s story that claimed Trump could not have witnessed American Muslims celebrating the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“Now, the poor guy — you’ve got to see this guy, ‘Ah, I don’t know what I said! I don’t remember!” Trump told the audience, shaking his arms for the crowd to see. When the Times saw video of the speech, they believed Trump was ridiculing Kovaleski’s arthrogryposis, a congenital joint condition that makes flexing one’s arms difficult.
The reporter said the billionaire’s actions did not shock him. “The sad part about it is, it didn’t in the slightest bit jar or surprise me that Donald Trump would do something this low-rent, given his track record,” Kovaleski told the Washington Post.
The New York Times said Wednesday: “We think it’s outrageous that he would ridicule the appearance of one of our reporters.”
The Trump campaign claimed he was not aware of the reporter’s physical condition. On Saturday, Trump tweeted a number of messages snapping back at the paper, saying it should focus on “good reporting and the papers financial survival and not with constant hits on Donald Trump!”
The numbers at the @nytimes are so dismal, especially advertising revenue, that big help will be needed fast. A once great institution-SAD!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2015
So, since the people at the @nytimes have made all bad decisions over the last decade, why do people care what they write. Incompetent!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2015
