'Hey, Young Man': Barack Obama Schools Rowdy Heckler Who Accuses Ex-Prez Of Aligning With Republicans
Nov. 3 2022, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
Barack Obama didn't back down, schooling a rowdy heckler who interrupted his speech at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The incident went down on Wednesday night when the former president began talking about the economy.
Obama was discussing the midterm elections, insisting that Republicans are simply trying to reward the wealthy — a view that didn't sit well with one person in the crowd considering #44 and his wife, Michelle Obama, reached millionaire status after landing six-figure deals with Netflix and Crown Publishing after leaving office.
Obama stated that the GOP wants "an economy that's very good for folks at the very top, but not always so good for ordinary people," but got interrupted before he could finish his sentence.
"Like you, Obama!" a young, white male shouted. As the crowd of nearly 1,000 began booing the heckler, Obama confronted him head-on while settling the upset rallygoers.
Instead of inciting a riot, Obama kept everyone calm.
"Hold up, hold up, everybody," the former commander-in-chief told the crowd before addressing the hater. "Hey, young man, just listen for a second. You know you have to be polite and civil when people are talking, then other people are talking and then you get a chance to talk."
Obama swiftly changed the focus, discussing the divide politics has in society today.
"This is part of what happens in our politics these days. We get distracted," Obama said. "You got one person yelling and suddenly everybody's yelling. You get one tweet that's stupid and suddenly everybody's obsessed with the tweet. We can't fall for that. We have to stay focused."
The former president warned the people of Arizona that if they don't vote blue, "democracy as we know it may not survive" in the state.
"Democracy as we know it is on the ballot. And nowhere is that clearer than here in Arizona," Obama told the crowd.
"If you've got election deniers serving as your governor, as your senator, as your secretary of state, as your attorney general, then democracy as we know it may not survive in Arizona," Obama said. "That's not an exaggeration. That is a fact."
Obama was discussing the importance of the upcoming election, in which Arizona citizens will choose between ex-actress Kari Lake and Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs for Governor.