Obama Heckled as He Talks About Political Civility

'Sir, this is what I'm saying,' former president tells crowd member in Michigan
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 30, 2022 8:10 AM CDT
Obama: This Heckler Proves My Point
Former President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign stop for Wisconsin Democrats Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Milwaukee.   (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Barack Obama spoke in Michigan on Saturday as he stumps ahead of the midterms, and one moment in particular from his speech in Detroit was making headlines. As the former president talked about the lack of political civility in today's world, a man in the crowd began heckling him. "Sir, this is what I'm saying," Obama responded, per Fox News. "We've got a— there is a process that we set up in our democracy," he added, per the Hill. "Right now I'm talking. You'll have a chance to talk sometime soon. We don't have to interrupt each other. We don't have to shout each other down." Watch the moment here.

It was unclear what the man was saying, but the crowd began a chant of "Obama!" during the exchange. The former president had been talking about the "demonizing" language coming from some politicians and their supporters. “If elected officials don’t do more to explicitly reject that kind of rhetoric, if they tacitly support it, or encourage their supporters to stand up outside voting places armed with guns and dressed in tactical gear, more people can get hurt,” said Obama. He had referenced the recent attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, as an example, prior to the interruption. (More Barack Obama stories.)

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