Donald Trump Under Fire for Mocking Journalist's Disability during Campaign Speech

The Republican presidential frontrunner has come under fire for disparagingly imitating The New York Times’ culture and investigative reporter, Serge Kovaleski, during a rally for supporters in South Carolina on Tuesday, The Independent reported on Thursday.

Mr Kovaleski suffers from arthrogryposis, a congenital condition affecting how his joints move.

The millionaire entrepreneur made the offensive gestures while defending a claim he made a few days earlier in which he had said that he witnessed thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating on the day of the 9/11 attacks.

This claim has reportedly since been discredited by government and law officials who were in New Jersey in the days following the attack.

A 2001 article written by Mr Kovaleski for the Washington Post had claimed that “authorities detained and questioned a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation on the other side of the river” in Jersey city, within hours of the planes crashing into the World Trade Centre.

But Mr Kovaleski told CNN this week: “We did a lot of shoe leather reporting in and around Jersey City and talked to a lot of residents and officials for the broader story. Much of that has, indeed, faded from memory.

“But I do not recall anyone saying there were thousands, or even hundreds, of people celebrating.  That was not the case, as best as I can remember it.”

Mr Trump was referencing these comments during his speech when he imitated Mr Kovaleski.

He said: “The poor guy. You’ve got to see this guy.  Ah, I don’t remember what I said!  I don’t remember!”, while jerking his arms and hands in a manner mocking Mr Kovaleski’s condition.

It is understood that Mr Trump is familiar with Mr Kovaleski as the latter covered him while a reporter for the New York Daily News in the late 1980s to early 1990s.

The New York Times has said it was “outrageous” for Mr Trump to have ridiculed Mr Kovaleski’s appearance.

Following the incident, Mr Kovaleski said: “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.”

Mr Trump has been much criticised on social media for the stunt, with a petition even being started on the change.org website to “make Trump apologize to Serge Kovaleski”.