Donald Trump denies mocking disabled New York Times reporter

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump denied he was mocking the disability of a New York Times reporter during a speech in which he flailed his arms and distorted his speech in an imitation of the journalist.

He also accused the reporter of “using his disability to grandstand”.

The latest uproar over Trump’s behaviour on the campaign trail was ignited by remarks the billionaire real-estate tycoon and former reality TV star made during a South Carolina rally on Tuesday about the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York’s World Trade Center.

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. During the speech, he singled out Times investigative reporter Serge Kovaleski for a story he wrote a few days after the attacks while he was then a Washington Post correspondent.

That article reported authorities had detained “a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation”. Those accounts have never been authenticated. Kovaleski said in a recent interview that he did “not recall anyone saying there were thousands, or even hundreds of people celebrating.”

"@MarkSimoneNY: Great twitter quote about Donald Trump: "Never apologize for fake controversies whipped up by the perpetually offended media

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2015

While not referring to Kovaleski by name in his speech, Trump accused the reporter of backing down from his own story.

“Now, the poor guy — you’ve got to see this guy. ‘Ah, I don’t know what I said. I don’t remember,’ ” Trump said at the microphone, jerking his arms in front of his body and slurring his words in a crude impression of the reporter.

Kovaleski suffers from a congenital condition called arthrogryposis, which limits mobility.

The New York Times issued a statement on Thursday rebuking Trump, saying: “We think it’s outrageous that he would ridicule the appearance of one of our reporters.”

The failing @nytimes should focus on fair and balanced reporting rather than constant hit jobs on me. Yesterday 3 boring articles, today2!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2015

Trump fired back on social media, denying he had made fun of Kovaleski’s disability or would even recognise him.

“I merely mimicked what I thought would be a flustered reporter trying to get out of a statement he made long ago,” Trump wrote. “If Mr Kovaleski is handicapped, I would not know because I don’t know what he looks like.” He also accused Kovaleski of “using his disability to grandstand”.

I do not know the reporter for the @nytimes, or what he looks like. I was showing a person groveling to take back a statement made long ago!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2015

In an interview for the Times, Kovaleski said he was certain Trump remembers him from his days covering the real estate developer for the New York Daily News in the 1980s.

“The sad part about it is, it didn’t in the slightest bit surprise me that Donald Trump would do something this low-rent, given his track record.”