Posted on 11/26/2015 2:48:04 PM PST by RoosterRedux
GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump says he does not know the disabled New York Times reporter he is accused of mocking.
"I have no idea who this reporter, Serge Kovaleski is, what he looks like or his level of intelligence," Trump said in a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday. "I don't know if he's J.J. Watt or Muhammad Ali in his prime--or somebody of less athletic or physical ability."
Trump cited an article written by Kovaleski in 2001, when he wrote for The Washington Post, that appeared to corroborate the businessman's story of seeing Arab-Americans in New Jersey celebrating as the World Trade Center towers came down.
After Kovaleski, who suffers from a chronic condition that impairs the movement of his arms, went on CNN to renounce the report, Trump appeared to mimic the journalist on stage at a South Carolina rally.
"Now the poor guy, you gotta see this guy: 'Uhh, I don't know what I said. I don't remember.' He's going, 'I don't remember. Maybe that's what I said,' " Trump said at the rally, flailing his arms as he imitated Kovaleski. "That was 14 years ago--they didn't issue a retraction."
The New York Times said it is "outrageous" that Trump would "ridicule the appearance of one of our reporters."
But Trump now claims that he has no idea what Kovaleski looks like.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I cannot make out that Trump said “ wait until you see this guy” on the video.
Where in the world is a video of the reporter talking etc.?
Sorry, Mikey, for any misunderstanding.
Rooster commented, within post # 28:
“Trump’s an asshole. But he’s our asshole.”
Rooster’s comment was in a back-and-forth with Mikey.
I then commented to Rooster, in post # 104, and directed as an aside to Mikey:
“Well there you have it, wrapped up in a big red bow.”
Rooster post #109 now wonders what I meant by my comment.
I have no idea. I’m not sure what I think about Mr. Trump. I’m cheering him one day, then cringing for the following week at these time-consuming, trivial, manufactured controversies that overshadow far more important issues.
Rooster’s comment “but he’s OUR asshole” was particularly amusing to me because it recalled an earlier famous quote.
Didn’t someone else (was it LBJ? Nixon?) say the exact same thing about the Shah (?) or some Middle Eastern dictator awhile back?
The fall of the Shah started the problems.
More recently, Saddam, Mubarak, Gadafi, and now Assad, have been “our assholes” who have maintained a certain stability in the region.
Allowing or abetting the overthrow of “our assholes” in the region, has brought us to this point—the brink of WWIII.
What we need in the Oval Office is a Strongman who’ll get our foreign policy back on track and fight for America.
We need a shrewd, give-em-hell Harry, an American Putin. Now more than ever, we need a leader willing to risk being a capital-A Asshole.
Perception becomes reality in the voters’ minds. What do voters perceive
and how will those perceptions play out in the ballot box?
Trump seems like he’s fighting for America for about 5 minutes, then he’s right back to ego-sparring and trading butt-hurts with media pipsqueaks for days.
Tweeting ‘Meeeee! It’s all about meeee!’ is entertaining, but it’s no way to run the free world. (Yeah I know he never said exactly that. But that’s the gist.)
Whoever is the nominee, we are going to own that decision.
So, IOW, I’m saying, yeah, he’s an asshole, and he’s ours.
But is he the right kind of asshole for the times we’re in? That’s the question.
With that said, as stated earlier, I don’t know whether Trump really was mocking a disability. I finally found some video of the reporter talking. If just his face, for example, were on camera, no one would know that he had a disability
I agree.
I also (finally) found some video of this reporter - had to do some resourceful researching, as I’m sure you did.
It is impossible to determine any physical impairment by seeing (again, rare) video of the guy. My take is that Trump was mocking the fact that this writer of the WaPo article (supporting Trump’s 9/11 celebration claim) attempt to walk it back.
The chances of ANYONE knowing what this is reporter looks like is slim, since he doesn’t seem to make filmed appearances very often. Maybe I’ve missed his filmed interviews/appearances.
I am sure the left wing Freepers will set you straight.
Lol. No doubt. Seem to be a slew of them, lately. Or fans, at least ;-)
“As I see it...Trump made his disability an issue.”
Prove it. One still screen shot while a man is moving his arm and hand is not proof. Have you seen a picture/video of the reporter at the event? I sure would like to see the other half of the story.
“Where in the world is a video of the reporter talking etc.?”
Good point. Where is the other half of the equation?
Trump shares the ego because it works. If you’re a Trump supporter, you tend to appreciate it, because it has been ions since Americans have seen bravado from out side.
Maybe since Patton. Two different universes for certain, yes, but the bravado style rallies the like minded and it sends chills down the spine of the opposition, and their donor class handlers.
Who it irritates lines up with being all the right people. We like that fact.
Appreciate your explanation.
I doubt you give two shits about the reporter.
Trump shares the ego because it works. If you’re a Trump supporter, you tend to appreciate it, because it has been ions since Americans have seen bravado from out side.
Amen. Trump has opened up a long awaited, and desperately needed, can of man.
If Trump was mocking the reporter than he should own up to it like a man instead of lying and pretending he hadn’t intended to mock like a teenage mean girl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PybQVQSiAOc
Of course, if you are a true Trump supporter, this won’t make a difference.
Myself...I know there are no heroes and am watching how things unfold. I don’t have to make a decision until March...and hopefully there will be a decent choice left by then.
I have seen this. Both of his hands are flailing around and the still shot is only of his right hand at one moment in time. A still shot of a whole series of movements.
Trump looks to me he is acting like the reporter who has that deer in the head light moment when he got caught. I see in no way he is going after the reporters disability.
No if you are a true Trump hater you will take it the way the nyt wants you to see it.
It is what it is.
I don’t hate Trump. I will vote for him in the general...if need be.
But I see him for what he is. Noone in this great wide world is without fault.
However you interpret the incident it is one data point among many. In this campaign there have been many data points recorded and many more will be created before the final ballot is cast.
The objective of the left is to destroy anyone opposing them by magnifying and distorting individual data points to create outrage in segments of the population as well peel off a few supporters. Multiple incidents = multiple opportunities for outrage = more supporters disillusioned or turning away each time. Create enough incidents of real or fake outrage and you eliminate enough support to win against the target. Classic Alinsky.
Trump is not politically correct. Period. If that bothers you, don’t support or vote for the man. At some point in his life he may have said the “N” word. If so, we’ll likely hear about it as the campaign progresses. One we know with certainty, if Hillary has said the “N” word at some point in her life, the press will cover up the data point. If Hillary has in any way disparaged a handicapped person the press will not report it. If there is such a data point, and it comes out despite the self censorship of the media, you can be assured it will be treated like Biden’s comments about Indian convenience store operators or his petting of an official’s wife on camera. The media and the left will fall all over themselves explaining why Hillary’s rude, boorish, immature, or spiteful behavior doesn’t mean anything.
I’m undecided in this race. At this point I’m collecting data points. There is no perfect candidate. If Trump was disparaging the reporter, the incident was rude, boorish, childish, immature, insensitive, and unstatesmanlike. Is this incident by itself disqualifying? Not in my opinion. Remember the US Senate, as well as the majority of the United States citizens per the polls, did not consider Bill Clinton’s sexual escapades and the associated perjury to be disqualifying. The left finds what may have been a crude gesture disqualifying while excusing perjury, fornication outside of marriage the oval office, disparaging remarks about ethnic groups, and the Vice President of the United States petting an official’s wife on television acceptable behavior.
We live in interesting times. Quite frankly, in today’s PC world, there are no real standards of behavior for candidates, people in positions of authority, or average citizens. In our PC world, standards of behavior are defined politically. If your politics lean left, you have a broader playing field than if your politics are conservative.
Knowing the game of the left is to apply constantly shifting and inconsistent standards to individuals, and then express outrage when the standard is violated, I refuse to play the game and let the left’s meme be the determining factor in my decision making. I’ve recorded this single data point about Trump and by the time I walk into a voting booth, if Trump is still on the ballot it will be one of many pieces of evidence leading to vote for or against him.
The one and only perfect human lived over 2000 years ago. There hasn’t been one since. By the time I go to the polls in 2016 the media, the leftists allied with the Democrat Party, and the GOPe will have demonized every candidate on my consideration list. I’m counting on my own sense of morality, my own research, and my own instincts to guide me to the right decision.
Until then, I’m collecting data and enjoying the show. Like him or hate him, Trump has done all of us a favor by blowing up the Bush coronation plan and turning the 2016 Republican nomination into a debate about real issues (immigration, trade, foreign policy, Obamacare) the elites wanted to suppress. Does this service outweigh the mocking of a reporter who directly attacked him? It depends on your point of view.
Exactly.
It’s only a crime if it’s done by a Republican.
Even though he is a liar I’ll vote for him. It just that when he fights back, he doesn’t fight nice. Oh well, THATS WHAT AMERICA NEEDS, DAMIT, SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO FIGHT NICE!!!!
WE FOUGHT NICE IN NAM, WE DID NOT FIGHT NICE IN WW2.
Higher poll numbers for Trump most likely.
Absolutely! A “can of man” is a rare commodity, and one like that who steps forth to take the White House is even rarer. Thanks be to God.
I don’t know if he was mocking the reporter’s handicap or not. He certainly was mocking the reporter on his poor journalism, which was totally justified. Whether he was mocking him for his handicap as well, I don’t know. I know in the past, he’s mocked other people who are not handicapped, by making some deliberately exaggerated movements. This time seemed a little more than usual, but whether he was specifically mocking his handicap I can’t say for sure.
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