What video evidence exists of Trump mocking a disabled reporter and where can I find it?

1. What the video shows and where it first circulated

The clip used in most accounts comes from a November 2015 Trump campaign rally in South Carolina and was circulated widely afterward; in the footage Trump flails his arms and says lines like “You gotta see this guy” and “I don’t remember,” words paired with a physical gesture that many viewed as imitating the reporter’s limited arm movement ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

2. Which outlets host or republished the clip

News organizations republishing or hosting the footage include Politico’s video page, BBC News, the Associated Press and other mainstream outlets — Politico has a dedicated video item of the incident ^{[3] [2] [1]}. People magazine also ran the footage alongside coverage of Trump’s denial ^[5].

3. The fact‑checking and interpretation dispute

PolitiFact, Snopes and multiple reporters documented the same clip and examined context: they show the shot of the reporter and then the rally footage; PolitiFact noted the reporter’s normal voice and dismissed the idea that Kovaleski acted the way Trump portrayed, concluding the imitation resembled the reporter’s limited arm flexibility ^{[4] [6]}. At the same time, Trump and some commentators insist he was mimicking a reporter “groveling” or exaggerating mannerisms rather than directly mocking a disability — an assertion Trump repeated in statements and tweets ^{[5] [7]}.

4. Why this clip became politically salient

Advocates and political groups used the clip in ads and research because it produced strong negative reactions among voters; Priorities USA and others argued the footage was especially damaging because it appeared to target a person with a disability, and polling at the time suggested the clip was influential in public perception ^{[1] [8]}.

5. Eyewitness and newsroom responses

The New York Times and reporters who covered the episode noted that Serge Kovaleski has a congenital condition limiting arm movement and that Kovaleski himself said he did not recall the exchange Trump described — a detail central to the controversy over whether Trump distorted facts and then mimicked the reporter’s body language ^{[2] [4]}.

6. How to view the evidence yourself

To watch the primary footage, consult the Politico video titled “Donald Trump mocks disabled reporter,” which reposts the rally clip used in subsequent coverage ^[3]. BBC, AP and People magazine also included the same footage in their stories and video packages about the episode and reactions to it ^{[2] [1] [5]}.

7. Limits of available reporting and remaining questions

Available sources document the rally clip and note Trump’s gestures and words, but they differ on intent: mainstream outlets, fact‑checkers and disability advocates interpret the clip as mocking or imitating a disability, while Trump and some commentators deny this intent and call it an imitation of behavior ^{[4] [5] [7]}. Available sources do not provide an audio‑visual frame that unequivocally proves Trump’s subjective intent beyond his public denial and the visual behavior in the clip ^{[4] [5]}.

8. Takeaway for researchers and viewers

Watch the original video segments at Politico and the other listed outlets to judge the gestures and words directly ^{[3] [2] [1]}. Compare the footage to contemporaneous reporting and fact‑checks (PolitiFact, Snopes) to see how journalists and analysts reconstructed context; note that disagreements about motive persist in public commentary ^{[4] [6] [7]}.

If you want, I can assemble direct links and timestamps from the Politico or BBC clips cited above so you can jump to the moment in the video.