WASHINGTON — These days, President Obama even gets heckled by his supporters.
A young man standing onstage with Obama at an event Monday in San Francisco disrupted the president’s speech by shouting pro-immigration slogans.
“There are thousands of immigrants deported every day,” yelled the heckler, who was a member of the multi-cultural crowd that the White House had assembled behind the president.
Obama, who was at the Betty Ann Ong Chinese Recreation Center to promote his stalled immigration-reform agenda, responded, “That’s exactly what we’re talking about. That’s why we’re here.”
The heckler continued to beseech the president, giving voice to the growing impatience for action among Obama’s base.
“Please use your executive order to halt deportations for all 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in this country right now!” he screamed. “You have a power to stop all deportations.”
“Actually I don’t. That’s why we’re here,” Obama replied, facing the heckler.
Several audience members began chanting: “Stop deportations! Stop deportations!”
But the unrest quickly settled as Secret Service agents moved in.
“Don’t worry about it, guys,” Obama said, calling off his bodyguards. “These guys don’t need to go.”
The crowd cheered.
“I understand the passion of these young people, because they feel deeply about the concerns for their families,” he said.