Donald Trump says he was not mocking reporter with physical disability

Presidential candidate… Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, and children Baron, Ivanka and Tiffany at a campaign event in SC.

Donald Trump has provoked outrage after appearing to mock a disabled reporter over an article written about him 14 years ago.

Donald Trump denied Thursday that he mocked a reporter with a disability in a SC speech, despite appearing to imitate mannerisms of the “poor guy” and make fun of him.

Serge Kovaleski, The New York Times’ culture and investigative reporter, had disputed Mr Trump’s claim that “thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the September 11 terror attacks in 2001. You ought to see the guy: ‘Err, I don’t know what I said. “‘Oh, I don’t know what I said, I don’t remember, ‘” Trump said while waving and bending his arms into crooked positions, according to Reuters.

Kovaleski says he didn’t remember thousands, or even hundreds, were celebrating.

The New York Times, where the reporter works, has interpreted the offensive actions as Trump’s attempt this week to “ridicule the appearance” of journalist Serge Kovaleski.

But Trump now claims that he has no idea what Kovaleski looks like.

A spokesman for Mr Trump declined to comment on the incident when approached by the newspaper. “That was not the case, as best as I can remember”, Kovaleski told CNN in an interview earlier this week.

The report said authorities had detained a number of people who were allegedly holding “tailgate-style parties on rooftops” after the 9/11 attacks.

Serge Kovaleski has a congenital condition that affects joint movement. A campaign official speaking on background said Trump was “not aware of any condition and was not mocking his physical appearance in any way”.

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.

That is the statement that apparently drew Trumps ire on Tuesday. This is despicable, ESPN reporter and author Don Van Natta Jr. wrote.

He said he has “tremendous respect for people who are physically challenged” and has spent tens of millions of dollars ensuring full access for people with disabilities to his buildings. A New York Times’s spokesperson said that they felt the candidate offended them.