Of the many incidents that prove Donald Trump is morally unfit to be president, one of the most outrageous came just before Thanksgiving. The Donald saw fit to mock the mannerisms of Serge Kovaleski, a physically disabled reporter, while on the campaign trail. In typical fashion, when Trump was deservedly slammed for his disgraceful behavior, he whined that he should be the one to get an apology.
Well, Trump tried to defend himself on Monday–and by any standard, failed miserably. He dropped by one of his biggest tormentors, The Washington Post, as part of his effort to prove that he really isn’t a boorish and debauched jerk. The conversation quickly turned to his disgraceful mocking of Serge Kovaleski, a reporter for The New York Times who has arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder that severely limits joint movement.
A little refresher: for much of last year, Trump claimed that thousands of North Jersey Muslims cheered the World Trade Center’s destruction on 9-11, and cited as proof an article by Kovaleski that noted many of them were detained. However, the article says that only “a number of people” were detained, not the “thousands” Trump claimed.
Shortly before taking the stage in Myrtle Beach on the week of Thanksgiving, Trump learned that Kovaleski adamantly denied writing about large numbers of people celebrating the attacks. This is how the Donald reacted.
Trump initially denied knowing Kovaleski was disabled, despite ample proof that he was well aware of Kovaleski’s disability. Apparently the Donald knows he can no longer credibly make this claim because he is now is saying that he would never dream of mocking Kovaleski or anyone else who is disabled. However, the way he tried to prove it was an epic fail. He waved and jerked his arms around in a manner similar to how he did in November. He claimed–presumably with a straight face–that he was merely imitating “a guy who grovels–‘Oh, oh, I didn’t say that, I didn’t say that.'”
Don’t insult our intelligence, Donald. If you expect anyone who watched you in November to believe that you weren’t mocking Kovaleski, there’s a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in buying. And unless I’m reading The Post wrong, you just mocked Kovaleski again. Waving your arms around like you did in November, then saying you were just “imitating” someone who had a habit of groveling?
There’s a name that anyone with a shred of decency would have for that–mocking someone. And you expect us to think that your account is, in your words, “a believable story”? Come off it, Donald. The only further thing we need to hear from you on this topic is an apology–while you’re announcing your withdrawal from the race.
Things like this are why I find myself rolling my eyes at the religious right seemingly flocking to the Donald–supposedly because he isn’t a godless baby-killer like Hillary Clinton. Put more succinctly, this is what they want us to think–abortion bad, mocking the disabled good. But then again, what do you expect when Sarah Palin still has a following among these people after she let her son use the family dog as a foot stool? Things like this only prove that the religious right is as morally bankrupt as the Donald.
I have been saying for a long time that we as liberals should have been demanding that Trump get out of the race rather than rejoice at his rise in the polls. After all, what message are we sending when a major party nominates someone who finds it acceptable to mock the disabled in this way?
