What video and audio recordings exist of Trump's interaction with the disabled reporter in 2015?
Executive summary
Video and audio of Donald Trump’s November 2015 rally in Myrtle Beach, S.C., show him imitating and widely perceived to be mocking New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has a congenital joint condition; major outlets published the rally clip and accompanying analysis at the time (see The Washington Post video and The Guardian compilation) [1] [2]. Multiple news organizations have preserved and reposted the footage and reporting about the exchange in subsequent years as the clip resurfaced online [3] [4].
1. The core recordings: rally video widely distributed by legacy outlets
The primary record is rally footage from Nov. 24, 2015, captured on video at a Myrtle Beach, S.C., event in which Trump recounts a New York Times account and, in the telling, appears to contort his arms and voice in a way many viewers read as an imitation of Serge Kovaleski’s physical mannerisms; The Washington Post published the clip with closed captioning and context soon after it happened [1]. The Guardian also published a video compilation and description of the same rally moment when the clip recirculated in later years [2].
2. How major outlets presented — and framed — the recording
Legacy outlets treated the rally clip as direct evidence of Trump’s behavior: The Washington Post made the 2015 video available as a news video with captions and context [1]. Sky News included the 2015 footage in retrospective reporting under the headline “November 2015: Trump mocks disabled reporter,” signaling editorial judgment that the footage showed mocking conduct [3]. The Guardian’s video story framed the action as Trump “appears to mock” Kovaleski, noting his arthrogryposis diagnosis [2].
3. Audio component and what it captures
The audio track on the rally video records Trump’s words as he narrates and imitates the New York Times article’s reporting: he repeats phrases about what a reporter “said” and layers in voice and gestures meant to replicate what he described. Published clips preserve that audio, which readers and viewers rely on to assess intent [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention any separate, higher-quality off-camera audio or private recordings beyond the broadcast rally footage [1] [2] [3].
4. Subsequent circulation and renewed attention
Years later the 2015 clip resurfaced and went viral again, drawing renewed media attention and commentary about whether Trump’s gesture was intended to mock a disability; Newsweek recounted the clip’s re-emergence and how social media users re-shared the footage as part of a larger cultural argument about mockery of disabled people [4]. The resurfacing prompted both condemnation and defensive responses across political and social media ecosystems [4].
5. Disagreement over intent and interpretation in sources
Reporting documents competing framings: outlets such as The Washington Post and Sky News presented the footage as Trump mocking a disabled reporter [1] [3]. The Guardian used the phrasing “appears to mock,” which signals a degree of caution about definitive intent even while showing the footage [2]. Some later social-media defenders argued the gestures were not meant to mimic disability; those viewpoints are noted in coverage of the clip’s reappearance but are not detailed in the provided sources [4].
6. What the public record does and does not show
The publicly available record in the cited reporting is the rally video with on-camera audio that documents Trump’s words and gestures [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention any additional private audio recordings, contemporaneous apologies, or contradicting high-fidelity transcripts beyond the published video and its captions [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not mention legal findings or an official investigation into the incident in 2015 within the supplied reporting [1] [2].
7. Why the recording matters now — and how coverage shaped perception
Journalists and commentators used the clip repeatedly as shorthand for Trump’s treatment of reporters, especially disabled journalists; outlets preserved the video to let the public judge the conduct directly [1] [3]. When the clip reappears in news cycles, it functions both as primary evidence and as a provocation that drives renewed partisan interpretation and debate on social platforms [4].
Limitations: this summary relies solely on the provided articles and video reports, which cite and republish the 2015 rally footage; the sources do not supply independent forensic audio analysis or any additional offsite recordings beyond the broadcast rally video [1] [2] [3].