Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Obama takes aim at Trump and Heck, encourages early voting for Democrats at Las Vegas rally

Obama Rallies Democrats in North Las Vegas

Steve Marcus

President Barack Obama campaigns for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Nevada Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto at Cheyenne High School in North Las Vegas Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016.

Obama Rallies Democrats in North Las Vegas

President Barack Obama waves with Nevada Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto as he campaigns for her and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Cheyenne High School in North Las Vegas Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. Launch slideshow »

President Barack Obama returned to Las Vegas today in the hopes of killing two Republican candidates' political dreams with the same stone.

The president, in a fiery, 30-minute speech to the more than 5,000 gathered at Cheyenne High School, railed against the two Republican candidates at the top of the ticket in Nevada — Donald Trump and U.S. Senate candidate Joe Heck — seeking to tie the two men together despite Heck’s un-endorsement of Trump two weeks ago.

Obama told the crowd that they have a choice: They can either elect Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto as the country’s first Latina U.S. senator, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant “who believes everyone deserves a chance,” or they can elect Heck, “the other guy” who has voted to defund Planned Parenthood and who once supported Trump. Obama said Heck’s withdrawal of an endorsement came too late and after Heck said that he had “high hopes” that Trump would become president and that he trusts Trump’s finger on the nuclear button.

“What the Heck?” Obama asked, to which the crowd shouted back, “Heck no.”

When the crowd booed Heck’s name during the speech, Obama told them, “Don’t boo,” the crowd shouting back, “Vote.”

The president dismissed the notion that Republican U.S. Senate candidates would “check Hillary’s power” and work to accomplish conservative goals in Congress.

“They’ve been the majority in Congress now for the past six years, basically,” Obama said. “And how have they helped you?”

Cortez Masto, introducing the president at the rally, similarly stressed the stakes of both her race and the presidential race while taking a shot at her opponent.

“We all know what’s at stake in this election. It’s two words: Donald Trump,” Cortez Masto said. “My opponent, Congressman Heck, for the last eight months, Congressman Heck was Donald Trump’s biggest supporter right here in Nevada."

Cortez Masto and Heck are running essentially neck-and-neck in the battle to replace Democratic U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, whom Obama called “one of the toughest fighters I know.”

“I could not have gotten any of the things I got done had it not been for him having my back every step of the way,” Obama said, turning to where Reid was standing near the side of the stage. "I love this guy. He has always stood up for Nevada first."

Reid, speaking at the start of the rally, stressed the importance of voting not only for Democrat Hillary Clinton for president, but electing Cortez Masto to replace him, saying that Clinton will need a Democratic majority in the Senate with which to work. He also called Trump a racist at the rally, saying that the American people “cannot normalize what is un-normal behavior.”

The musical group Boys II Men made a surprise appearance at the rally, singing favorites like “End of the Road” with the crowd as the president made his way over from McCarran Airport. There, Obama greeted Las Vegas Valley guests, taking pictures, shaking hands and holding a baby, as the crowd cheered his arrival.

Las Vegas resident Maria Dolores, 52, said it was the first time she had ever seen the president in person.

"Really cool and a one-of-a-kind experience," Dolores said in her native Spanish. "He's as nice in person as he seems on TV."

Throughout the rally, the president pushed back on the doom-and-gloom picture of the country that Trump has been painting throughout the election cycle. He used Nevada as an example — the state hardest hit by the housing crisis, but a place where people still come “looking to improve their lives.”

He pointed to the 50 million new jobs that have been created across the country and the investments that have been made in clean energy and solar, and said that graduation rates have never been higher.

“Our country is stronger, it is more prosperous, it is safer than it was eight years ago,” Obama said. “But for all the progress we’ve made, if we don’t work as hard as we can these next 16 days, all of that progress will be out the window.”

He blamed Republican politicians for fomenting a culture that has given rise to Trump, such as insinuating that the president could somehow impose martial law and seize Americans’ guns — a possibility he laughed off, saying he can’t even talk without a teleprompter.

"Donald Trump did not start this,” Obama said. "Donald Trump didn’t start it; he just did what he always did, which is slap his name on it, take credit for it and promote it.”

The president also expressed incredulity that, only a couple of decades ago, Republicans elected a leader like Ronald Reagan.

“And suddenly your presidential nominee is kissing up to Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer,” Obama said, referring to Russia’s president. “He’s got a bromance with him.”

Obama also said that Trump is “undermining our democracy” in saying that he wouldn’t necessarily accept the results of the election but that he would rather wait and see. He also asked how exactly the election could be rigged given that governors in many swing states, including Nevada, are Republican.

“If this was rigged, boy, it would be a really big conspiracy,” Obama said. “A Republican governor is not going to rig an election for Hillary Clinton or rig an election for Catherine.”

The president urged the crowd to vote early, saying that’s how he won Nevada in 2008 and 2012 and that it would be crucial to winning in 2016. Early voting in Nevada started yesterday and continues until Nov. 4. A record-breaking 39,309 voters cast their ballots in Clark County on Saturday, and as of 6 p.m., another 30,220 people cast ballots today, according to Clark County Public Information Officer Dan Kulin.

"There’s only way to lose this election. and that’s to fold your hands and not vote,” Obama said. "You’ve got an ace underneath, but if you don’t turn it over, you’ll lose.”

The president departed McCarran International Airport with little fanfare, rushing up the stairs of Air Force One to avoid wind gusts that reached up to 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

When he reached the door just after 6 p.m., Obama turned toward press stationed at the airport, waved and stepped into the plane. Air Force One left McCarran International Airport just before 6:10 p.m.

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