Barack Obama Shuts Down Heckler, Slams Conspiracy Theories at Rallies

Former President Barack Obama traveled to Michigan and Wisconsin on Saturday, seeking to sway voters in the battleground states ahead of the November midterm elections.

At a rally in Michigan, Obama was interrupted by a heckler as he was speaking about the recent attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi.

As Obama called for elected officials to "explicitly reject" dangerous rhetoric from their supporters, a man yelled out at him. What the man said to Obama was not immediately clear.

"This is what I mean," Obama said in response.

Addressing the man, he continued: "Sir, we've got a... there is a process that we set up in our democracy. 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. It's not a good way to do business. You wouldn't do that a workplace. You wouldn't just interrupt people in the middle of a conversation. It's not how we do things. And this is part of the point that I want to make. Just basic civility and courtesy works."

Obama praised Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and criticized her Republican opponent, Tudor Dixon, for pushing a conspiracy theory that the COVID-19 pandemic was part of a plan by Democrats to topple the U.S. as retaliation for losing the Civil War.

"Imagine if instead of coming up with a story about how us having to watch Tiger King in our sweatpants was some kind of government plot, imagine if she spent some time coming up with some ideas about how to create some more jobs here in Michigan or to get folks more healthcare or to improve our schools," he said. "That's what you want from the governor of your state."

Later, while campaigning in Milwaukee, Obama blasted Republican Sen. Ron Johnson for his attacks on Social Security in a moment that went viral on social media.

"Some of you here are on Social Security. Some of your parents are on Social Security. Some of your grandparents are on Social Security. You know why they have Social Security?" Obama said.

"Because they worked for it. They worked hard jobs for it. They have chapped hands for it. They had long hours and sore backs and bad knees to get that Social Security."

If Johnson "does not understand that, if he understands giving tax breaks for private planes more than he understands making sure that seniors who've worked all their lives are able to retire with dignity and respect, he's not the person who's thinking about you and knows you and sees you, and he should not be your senator from Wisconsin," Obama added, prompting raucous applause.

Newsweek has contacted Johnson's campaign for comment.