Why did Donald Trump mock disabled reporter Serge Kovaleski and what did Meryl Streep say at the Golden Globes?
Meryl Streep used her Golden Globes acceptance speech to call out the President-elect
DONALD Trump came under fire when he mocked a disabled reporter during a party rally in 2015.
The President-elect flailed his arms around and imitated New York Times journalist Serge Kovaleski’s voice before describing him as a “poor guy”.
At the Golden Globes, actress Meryl Streep criticised Trump for the attack on the reporter as she received a lifetime achievement award.
Who is Serge Kovaleski?
Serge Kovaleski is an investigative reporter at The New York Times.
During his career he has broken momentous stories such Prince's death from a drug overdose, the Boston Marathon bombing and the 2012 Colorado Theatre shooting.
He suffers from a condition called arthrogryposis, which causes joints to seize up, affecting their movement.
Why did Donald Trump mock disabled reporter Serge Kovaleski?
The row erupted after Trump quoted an article written by Kovaleski in 2001, which he said claimed that thousands of Muslims "celebrated" the 9/11 terror attacks.
But Kovaleski said the billionaire businessman’s claims were wrong – and said he did not remember anyone saying “there were thousands, or even hundreds, of people celebrating”.
In a statement released by Trump after the incident, he said: “I have no idea who this reporter, Serge Kovaleski, is, what he looks like or his level of intelligence.
“Despite having one of the all-time great memories, I certainly do not remember him."
He added: "...I have great respect for the way he wrote the story on 18 September 2001, and in particular the paragraph talking about Muslims and tailgate parties taking place in New Jersey.
“Serge Kovaleski must think a lot of himself if he thinks I remember him from decades ago – if I ever met him at all, which I doubt I did.
“He should stop using his disability to grandstand and get back to reporting for a paper that is rapidly going down the tubes.”
What did Meryl Streep say at the Golden Globes?
Standing in front of the world's most rich and famous, Meryl Streep attacked Trump's actions - without naming him.
She said:" It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter.
"Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back.
"It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can’t get it out of my head, because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.
"And this instinct to humiliate, when it’s modelled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kinda gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence.
"And when the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose. O.K., go on with it.
"As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia, said to me once, take your broken heart, make it into art.";
After being made aware of her speech, President-elect Trump hit back at the three-time Oscar winner, dismissing her as a “a Hillary lover".
He told the he had not seen Ms. Streep’s remarks or other parts of the Globes ceremony, but added that he was “not surprised” that he had come under attack from “liberal movie people”.
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Donald Trump sparks outrage as he mocks disabled reporter during speech