Harry Potter author JK Rowling criticized for claiming Trump snubbed disabled child
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has been slammed on social media for claiming that US President Donald Trump snubbed a disabled child despite video evidence to the contrary.
The incident in question occurred when Trump met a group of young people at the White House.
Rowling later claimed that Trump had been “looking deliberately over a disabled child’s head, ignoring his outstretched hand.”
Footage released later showed that Trump did in fact shake hands with the wheelchair user and bent down to talk to him during the visit.
Rowling had tweeted: “This monster of narcissism values only himself and his pale reflections.
“The disabled, minorities, transgender people, the poor, women (unless related to him by ties of blood, and therefore his creations) are treated with contempt, because they do not resemble Trump.
“That man occupies the most powerful office in the free world and his daily outrages against civilised norms are having a corrosive effect.
“How stunning, and how horrible, that Trump cannot bring himself to shake the hand of a small boy who only wanted to touch the President.”
A woman claiming to be the boy’s mother took exception to Rowling’s claims.
This monster of narcissism values only himself and his pale reflections. The disabled, minorities, transgender people, the poor, women
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 28, 2017
"Ummmm...if someone can please get a message to JK Rowling: Trump didn’t snub my son & Monty wasn’t even trying to shake his hand,” Marjorie Kelly Wheeler said in a widely-circulated Facebook post.
“(1. He’s 3 and hand shaking is not his thing, 2. he was showing off his newly acquired secret service patch). Thanks,” she said in the post.
Rowling has not withdrawn her claim or apologized.
