J. K. Rowling, the acclaimed author most famous for the internationally bestselling “Harry Potter” series, has apologized for incorrectly accusing President Donald Trump of refusing to shake hands with a disabled 3-year-old child — though her apology did not extend to the president himself.
Re: my tweets about the small boy in a wheelchair whose proferred hand the president appeared to ignore in press footage, multiple /1
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 31, 2017
sources have informed me that that was not a full or accurate representation of their interaction. I very clearly projected my own /2
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 31, 2017
sensitivities around the issue of disabled people being overlooked or ignored onto the images I saw and if that caused any distress /3
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 31, 2017
to that boy or his family, I apologise unreservedly. These tweets will remain, but I will delete the previous ones on the subject. /4x
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 31, 2017
The apology to the family of Montgomery Weer comes three days after the author issued her initial tweet attacking what she believed was Trump’s ableist behavior. Since then, Daily Mail columnist Piers Morgan and many other criticized Rowling for her comments. The boy’s own mother subsequently came forward to insist that Trump “didn’t snub” her child.
Perhaps most damningly, PolitiFact rated Rowling’s tweet with a “Pants on Fire!”
“Her tweets were based on an edited video of a White House press conference that had circulated online,” PolitiFact wrote. “The full video of the event showed Trump did greet a 3-year-old boy with spina bifida. In her rush to defend a disabled child, Rowling reacted to only a snippet of video, without taking the entire event into consideration. She also did not respond to calls for her to recant her criticism.”
Rowling has been outspoken in her criticisms of Trump, with her tweets usually packed with wit-laced contempt for the mogul-turned-Republican-turned-president.
'I've developed so many friends.'
Humans 'make' friends, Donald. They 'make' them.#debate
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 20, 2016
Well, there you have it. A highly intelligent, experienced woman just debated a giant orange Twitter egg. Your move, America. #debate
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 20, 2016
'It's your fault I didn't pay taxes, Hillary. Women let you do anything when you're a star.'
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 10, 2016
Trump says 'just words, folks.' It's his accusation and his defence. Words don't matter. Facts don't matter. If they don't, we're all lost.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 10, 2016
The men rushing to tell us all that they talk about women exactly the way @realDonaldTrump did in his tape seem to think they're helping.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 9, 2016
When a man this ignorant & easy to manipulate gets within sniffing distance of the nuclear codes, it's everyone's business. #RestOfTheWorld https://t.co/yHBIIuhYEN
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 10, 2016
We stand together. We stick up for the vulnerable. We challenge bigots. We don't let hate speech become normalised. We hold the line. https://t.co/ro9AkRSc9Q
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 9, 2016
TrumpSpellCheck™️
Unpresidentedly effective. pic.twitter.com/9leL9aIei1— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 17, 2016
Keep having flashbacks to a little girl in my class at primary school, whose go-to insults were YOU'VE GOT FLEAS and YOU SMELL. https://t.co/Ej4lSCDg1L
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) January 12, 2017
Can you imagine the number of mirrors this man must have smashed? https://t.co/TPS8XDuAmm
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) February 6, 2017
You've got to get the letter before you put on the hat, Oliver. https://t.co/KFvRtrwdpy
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 27, 2017
While it’s easy to criticize Rowling for her tweet-based error, it’s admirable that she continues to use her high-profile platform to take a political stance. It’s a tendency that her critics, Morgan in particular, have found controversial.
What’s more, Rowling deserves at least some credit for apologizing to the individuals who warranted one (the disabled child and his family). Apologies of any sort are rare enough these days.
As for the fact that she did not offer the same to the president, it’s important to remember that, while she was incorrect, this is the same man who mocked a disabled reporter in front of thousands during the 2016 election. That’s just one example of the president’s pronounced ableism.
Trump certainly deserves to benefit from a correction over this fake news, but it’s arguable that apologies should be reserved for the innocent and worthy — those who themselves realize their wrongdoing and apologize for it.
Trump, with his regular stream of disdain for the disabled, is not the true victim here.
