Donald Trump claimed an Ohio heckler was paid $250 to disrupt his rally after the protester shouted about Jeffrey Epstein during the president’s speech.
Trump stopped speaking as the interruption drew boos from the crowd. He offered no evidence for his allegation that the protester had been paid to cause a scene.
The incident prompted the president to address his past association with Epstein. Trump told the audience: “I threw Jeffrey Epstein out of a club like 20 years ago because I thought he was a whackjob.”
He clarified that he was referring to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, and sought to distance himself from Epstein politically, saying: “He was a Democrat. He always came around with Democrats.”
Trump also appeared to insinuate that the heckler was gay, making a further personal remark as supporters in the crowd cheered.
The president went on to discuss Ohio Senator Jon Husted, returning to comments he had made earlier in the month about examining Husted’s physique to confirm that he was a great athlete.
Trump had referred to Husted’s derriere again several days later while speaking to a crowd in Kentucky.
