President Donald Trump mocked a heckler who interrupted his rant about transgender athletes at his Friday night rally in Suffern, New York.
Heckler Confronted
“Go home to mom. Take him home to mommy! He’s going to be in trouble,” Trump told the heckler as the crowd began to chant “USA.” The president appeared to support Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who is up for reelection in November’s midterm elections.
Transgender Athlete Story
Trump asked the crowd, “Do you want to hear the swimming story or not?” joking that his wife, first lady Melania Trump, did not want him to tell it. “She says, ‘Darling, please, you speak so beautifully, would you do me a favor. Don’t do the swimming story, don’t do the weightlifting story, it’s so damn unpresidential,’” he continued. Trump went on to tell the story anyway to an enthusiastic crowd until someone from the audience interrupted him.
Audience Reaction
The footage captured by CSPAN shows a crowd circling the heckler, pointing and chanting. “You know what he doesn’t say is, his mom’s watching on television now and she’s loving it,” Trump said, before continuing his story.
Polling Backlash
The heckler’s dissent from the president’s supportive crowd comes amid multiple polls indicating backlash over Trump’s leadership. A new poll published Thursday by the American Research Group found that only 31% of American voters approve of Trump. A recent poll released by Fox News also found Trump’s overall approval rating has dropped 10 points since the start of his second term.
