Trump's Biden mockery upsets people who stutter: 'We've heard this before'

Róisín McManus, who has stuttered her whole life, had mixed reactions when she saw a video of former President Donald Trump imitating President Joe Biden’s stutter at a rally. While she was not surprised given Trump’s history of mocking Biden’s stutter, the video still evoked painful memories of childhood humiliation for McManus and other people who stutter. Stuttering is unrelated to intelligence or comprehension, and many adults who stutter have developed resilience to cruel comments. However, hearing such remarks from someone as prominent as Trump, and seeing his audience laugh, still hurt. Mockery from a former president reinforces negative beliefs about stuttering and can hinder acceptance and effective communication. Advocates have long been concerned about stigmatizing rhetoric that suggests disabilities are incompatible with demanding jobs.