Are there video clips showing Trump mocking a disabled person?

1. The clip that sparked the controversy — what viewers see

Multiple news outlets ran the same short rally footage in which Trump recounts a 2001 New York Post story and then flails his arms and alters his voice while referring to a reporter; People published the video and described the gestures as an imitation that many interpreted as mocking Kovaleski’s limited arm flexibility ^[1]. The BBC summarised the episode as Trump being criticised for “mocking a disabled New York Times reporter” and linked to the rally moment where the gesture appears ^[2].

2. How news organizations and fact-checkers framed it

Local and national outlets presented the clip as evidence that Trump mimicked a disabled reporter. PolitiFact/Denver7‑affiliated fact checks and US TV stations noted that advocates and disabled people saw the rally gestures and tone as a clear mockery; those fact-checks reported that Trump later denied mocking Kovaleski but that the video contradicted his explanation ^[3]. 9News ran the clip in political advertising context and described the gestures and strained voice precisely as the element driving the ad’s claim ^[4].

3. Trump’s stated defense and conflicting accounts

Trump denied that he mocked a disabled person, saying he was imitating the reporter “groveling” and that he didn’t remember the man well enough to know he had a disability; reporting shows Kovaleski and others contradicted Trump’s claim about not knowing the reporter, and coverage emphasised that the candidate’s explanation was at odds with available evidence ^{[1] [3]}.

4. Disability advocates’ interpretation and political fallout

Disability-rights organizations and commentators treated the gesture as more than crude theatre: commentators and organizations said it was bullying that reinforces harmful attitudes toward people with disabilities and warned of policy and cultural consequences beyond mere decorum ^{[5] [6]}. Coverage shows the incident became a touchpoint in broader debates about civility and inclusiveness in politics ^[5].

5. What the sources do not claim or address

Available sources here document the 2015 rally clip and reactions; they do not provide, in these excerpts, any forensic video‑authentication analysis proving the gestures targeted the reporter’s disability as an intentional act beyond the interpretation of viewers and advocates. The provided reporting does not include Trump’s full contemporaneous remarks in transcript form to establish intent beyond the visual and audio evidence cited by outlets ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

6. Why this has remained a recurring reference point

The visual nature of the clip — a public figure using a strained voice and exaggerated arm movements — made it easy to circulate, replay, and embed in political advertising and commentary; outlets repeatedly published the footage and analyses, keeping the episode in public view and amplifying discussion among journalists, fact‑checkers and disability advocates ^{[4] [3] [5]}.

7. Bottom line for someone asking “are there video clips?”

Yes: mainstream outlets including People and the BBC published the rally footage, and fact‑checkers summarized and replayed the same clip; those sources describe the gestures and voice as imitative and note that many observers — including disability advocates and fact‑check reports — concluded Trump mocked Kovaleski’s disability, while Trump denied that interpretation ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Limitations: this summary relies on the provided reporting excerpts; the sources present the clip and competing statements (Trump’s denial vs. observers’ readings) but do not, in these snippets, supply a forensic ruling on intent or a full unedited transcript for definitive proof beyond the visual/audio evidence cited by journalists and advocates ^{[1] [3]}.