After Donald Trump Continues To Mock Joe Biden’s Stutter, Disability Advocates Call It ‘Bullying’

Donald Trump mocked President Joe Biden’s stutter again at a campaign rally in Rome, Georgia on Saturday.

At a campaign event in Iowa a few months ago, Trump attacked Biden when he made fun of the president’s childhood speech impediment. Hours after Biden’s remarks on the anniversary of January 6, Trump preached to his supporters, “Did you see him? He was stuttering through the whole thing. He’s saying I’m a threat to democracy. ‘He’s a threat to d-d-democracy.’”

At no point in Biden’s Jan. 6 remarks did he struggle with the word “democracy.”

Trump spent much of his two-hour rally speech attacking Biden’s physical and mental health, as well as his ever-growing list of grudges with various enemies. He asserted to his supporters that everything Biden touches turns to “s—“, and characterized the president’s State of the Union speech as a “dark, angry rant.”

Trump has received a slew of criticism from disability advocates who called his behavior a form of bullying. Trump has a history of targeting individuals with disabilities and his pattern of insults has raised concerns about his lack of empathy and respect for others.

This incident is not an isolated event but part of a broader trend where Trump resorts to offensive rhetoric to rally his followers.

In 2015, Trump insulted the late conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer, who used a wheelchair. He also mocked New York Times reporter Serge F. Kovaleski‘s disability at his campaign. While in office, Trump reportedly did not want to be seen with disabled military veterans.

John Hendrickson, a staff writer at The Atlantic and a lifelong stutterer, asserted in an article that it is essential to recognize the way Trump’s audience perpetuates his behavior.

Hendrickson pointed out that Trump’s supporters often laugh along with his outrageous comments. This dynamic plays a crucial role in Trump’s speeches as he uses his audience’s response as a gauge to determine what he can get away with politically. If Trump’s followers reacted with shock or disgust when he targeted individuals with disabilities, he might reconsider his approach, but the laughs he receives encourage his offensive language. This cycle allows Trump’s comments to become increasingly edgy, fueled by the positive reaction he receives.