J.K. Rowling apologises over claim Donald Trump snubbed disabled child

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has apologised for a string of tweets alleging President Donald Trump ignored a young boy in a wheelchair at a recent event at the White House, after corrections from those who were there.

In tweets since deleted, Rowling shared a clip appearing to show Trump ignoring the boy after he extends his hand toward him. "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," she said.

However, Marjorie Kelly Weer, the mother of the child, posted to Facebook to say Rowling was mistaken.

"If someone can please get a message to JK Rowling: Trump didn't snub my son and Monty wasn't even trying to shake his hand," Weer wrote.

"1) He's 3 and hand-shaking is not his thing. 2) He was showing off his newly acquired secret service patch."

Rowling took to Twitter last night (31 July) to issue her apology.

"Multiple sources have informed me that that was not a full or accurate representation of their interaction," she said across multiple tweets.

"I very clearly projected my own sensitivities around the issue of disabled people being overlooked or ignored onto the images I saw and if that caused any distress to that boy or his family, I apologise unreservedly.

Over the weekend another video was shared online showing Trump interacting with Monty at the event, prior to the clip Rowling showed.

Rowling has been an outspoken critic of Trump since long before he took office in January, vocally criticising him for months on end.