A heckler interrupted President Obama's fundraising event in Los Angeles Monday night with calls that Obama was "an anti-Christ." The heckler, identified as David Serrano, stood just feet in front of the president. The Secret Service quickly removed him. The episode, however, gave Obama one more opportunity to restate his Christian beliefs.
Serrano interrupted Obama's introductory remarks at the fundraiser. "Jesus Christ is the one and only true and living God, the creator of the heavens and the universe," Serrano said. "Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is God. You are [the] anti-Christ."
Obama did respond immediately to Serrano, who chanted "Jesus Christ is God" while the Secret Service escorted him out of the crowd.
"First of all, I agree that Jesus Christ is the Lord. I believe in that," Obama said. He then pointed out that the man may have left his jacket. Whether this was a concern for security or an attempt to "give him his cloak also," Obama insisted the man take his coat with him. That is, until a woman said it was her jacket.
The president then returned to his speech. "All right, where was I? It is good to be back in L.A," Obama said.
Tony Bell, spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, told the New York Daily News that Serrano is not new to local political events. He frequently interrupts public meetings with similar statements.
"He yells out his statements, which are very mistaken, odd interpretations of scriptures. He's been pretty close to being thrown out of our meetings," Bell said. "He's not a pleasant guy. He talks about Jews in his diatribes and seems very anti-Semitic. I don't have the impression he's dangerous, but he has issues that could use some help."
Serrano's heckles did not come cheap. The 1,000 attendees paid $250 to $10,000 to hear Obama give a campaign speech at the L.A. House of Blues. Serrano has been released by the Secret Services without charges.
