President Obama’s blasted Donald Trump’s “terrible” comments about women Tuesday evening during a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in Greensboro, North Carolina, that was interrupted several times by protesters wearing t-shirts and carrying signs proclaiming, “Bill Clinton is a rapist.”
Mr. Obama ridiculed GOP officials who have denounced Mr. Trump’s lewd comments on an 11-year-old tape about groping women, but won’t withdraw their endorsements of the Republican nominee.
“I too believe in forgiveness and redemption. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to elect the person president,” Mr. Obama said. “You can’t have it both ways. We saw this coming. He’s been saying really bad stuff for a while now. What did you think — he was going to transform himself? I’m [age] 55, I know it’s hard to change. I know at 70 it’s harder.”
He urged supporters to vote for Mrs. Clinton, telling voters to “turn back the forces of racism and misogyny.”
Of the comments by Mr. Trump that angered many women, the president said, “You don’t have to be husband or a father to hear what we heard just a few days ago and say, ’That’s not right.’ You just have to be a decent human being.”
The president also mocked Mr. Trump, who has owned casinos, for declaring a $916 million business loss in 1995 and apparently not paying federal income taxes for years.
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“They say the house always wins. I don’t know what happened,” the president said. “You don’t brag about not paying your taxes. That means you’re not a responsible citizen. He is not fit to be commander in chief.”
Referring to Mr. Trump’s promise to deport more illegal immigrants, the president said, “they’ve probably already paid more taxes than he has.”
He portrayed Mr. Trump as anti-American.
“In the middle of a debate, when you threaten to put your opponent in jail … when you welcome Russian meddling in our electoral process … democracy doesn’t work that way,” Mr. Obama said. “I frankly never thought I’d see the day when we would have a major party candidate who is promoting those notions.”
In the battleground state that he lost in 2012 to Republican Mitt Romney, the president enumerated the experience and qualities of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“She doesn’t quit,” he said. “She actually knows what she’s talking about — which is helpful when you’re president of the United States. C’mon, people! This isn’t an audition for some show. This ain’t a show!”
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At least three pro-Donald Trump protesters approached the stage while Mr. Obama was speaking, clearly in view of the president.
“Oh no!” Mr. Obama said as the crowd of nearly 8,000 erupted in jeers and catcalls.
“This is the great thing about politics in America,” the president said finally. “It takes all kinds. Folks will just do all kinds of stuff. Those are folks who are auditioning for a reality show. I’m just trying to make a simple point here.”
The crowd begins chanting, “Hillary!”
A few minutes later, more pro-Trump demonstrators began shouting in the audience.
“Is somebody hollering again?” Mr. Obama asked, looking into the crowd at the Trump supporters. “Here’s the deal. Try to get your own rally.”
On a third occasion, a young man approached the stage and pointed at the president angrily, apparently yelling at Mr. Obama, before Secret Service agents hauled him away.
“Thank you,” the president said to his security detail. “He was okay, he was okay. You know what? This is our democracy at work. He gets his five seconds of fame.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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