Footage of then-Republican presidential contender Donald Trump appearing to mock a disabled journalist has gone viral on social media after Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett was criticized for referring to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, as “Governor Hot Wheels.”
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment on Wednesday via email outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Crockett’s comment, made on Monday during the Human Rights Campaign’s annual dinner in Los Angeles, sparked widespread conservative condemnation. National Republican Committee press secretary Mike Marinella branded Crockett “out of touch and completely unhinged” while Turning Point CEO Charlie Kirk described her as “trash.”
However, several social media users have pointed out that President Trump appeared to mock a disabled person in November 2015 when he did an impersonation of New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski.
President Donald Trump displays an executive order after signing it in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 25, 2025. President Donald Trump displays an executive order after signing it in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 25, 2025. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GETTY
What To Know
Speaking about Governor Abbott, who has been paralyzed from the waist down since being hit by a tree while jogging in 1984, at the Human Rights Campaign event Crockett said: “We in these hot a** Texas streets, honey. Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there, c’mon now. The only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a** mess.”
Crockett’s comments were widely condemned by conservative influencers, but a number of social media users shared a clip of Trump appearing to mock Kovaleski, who has a congenital joint condition, during one of his rallies in November 2015.
Referring to Kovaleski Trump said “you gotta see this guy” before doing what seemed to be an impression of his condition.
According to The Washington Post at the time, a Trump campaign official said Trump was “not aware of any condition and was not mocking his physical appearance in any way.”
Marlene Robertson, a self-styled “defender of democracy” from Ontario in Canada, shared a clip of Trump’s impersonation on X commenting: “So maga find ‘Governor Hot Wheels’ offensive but not Trump mocking a disabled reporter. Please go f*** yourselves.”
Robertson’s post went viral on the social media platform, racking up more than 26,000 likes and 530,000 views.
A GIF, or short clip, of Trump targeting Kovaleski was also shared by Charli Huxley, an X user from Michigan, who added: “Mad about Jasmine Crockett calling him Governor Hot Wheels…yet laughed about this…Go sit down MAGA!”
This post was shared over 8,000 times and received more than 870,000 views.
Separately an X parody account impersonating actor Liam Neesom shared a still photograph from Trump’s impersonation, adding: “Governor Hot Wheels? Spare me the fake outrage you silly f***** rednecks.” The post was viewed more than 330,000 times.
What People Are Saying
Posting about her comments on X, Rep. Crockett said: “I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable.
“Literally, the next line I said was that he was a ‘Hot A** Mess,’ referencing his terrible policies. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition. So, I’m even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump—a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities—are now outraged.”
National Republican Congressional Committee Press Secretary Mike Marinella said: “Jasmine Crockett is the perfect spokesperson for today’s Democrats: out of touch and completely unhinged. When you’ve got no message and no agenda, all that’s left is hate.”
Turning Point CEO Charlie Kirk said on X: “Jasmine Crockett continues to embarrass herself, the state of Texas, and the U.S. Congress. Gov. Abbott was paralyzed at the age of 26 when an oak tree fell and crushed his spine while jogging. This woman is trash.”
Libs of TikTok on X: “Gov Abbott is in a wheelchair because he became paralyzed from an accident. This is sickening.”
What Happens Next
Crockett has thus far insisted her comments weren’t a reference to Abbott’s disability though this claim has been questioned by some commentators.
A legjobb élmény biztosítása érdekében olyan technológiákat használunk, mint a cookie-k az eszközadatok tárolására és/vagy eléréséhez. Ha beleegyezik ezekbe a technológiákba, akkor olyan adatokat dolgozhatunk fel ezen az oldalon, mint a böngészési viselkedés vagy az egyedi azonosítók. A hozzájárulás elmulasztása vagy visszavonása bizonyos funkciókat és funkciókat hátrányosan érinthet.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
