President Obama on Sunday condemned audience members at a recent GOP presidential debate who booed an openly gay service member currently deployed in Iraq.
Via video message from Iraq, the soldier, Stephen Hill, asked candidates appearing at the Fox News-Google GOP Presidential debate in Orlando whether they would seek to undermine repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” if elected — a question that elicited loud jeers by some in attendance.
Speaking at a fundraiser in San Jose, Calif., Obama slammed the audience reaction as well as an outburst on health insurance in a previous GOP debate.
“You've got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don't have healthcare. And booing a service member in Iraq because they're gay," Obama said. "That's not reflective of who we are." (read The Hill 's report on Obama's comments here).
On Friday, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, whose appearance in Thursday’s debate was his first on the campaign trail, told MSNBC, “I was champing at the bit to be able to respond to that. In retrospect, I really regret maybe not putting my fist down and pounding it."
The president will travel Monday to Los Angeles where he will attend fundraisers at the House of Blues and at Fig & Olive restaurant in West Hollywood.
Watch the video here.
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