I don't think trump mocked that disabled reporter's disability... he does weird hand gestures and voices when he mocks most people. It's kinda just his thing.

But more on point, I think basic income will sabotage market forces. As you stated, removing the need to work will stall out the economy. Reducing the need to work will make some people not work as hard or as much when compared to if they didn't have the assistance. I've seen this already; I used to have a minimum wage job, and we had people who would start but then immediately quit once they learned having an income would interfere with their foodstamps.

It's a complicated issue, and I don't have the answers. I appreciate your deep dive on this subject, it gave me a couple more things to think about.