Barack Obama hit the Republicans on blocking immigration reform, early childhood education and infrastructure. | AP Photo Obama: Don't let GOP be counterweight to Clinton

NORTH LAS VEGAS — President Barack Obama on Sunday railed against Republicans pivoting to campaigning as counterweights to a Hillary Clinton presidency, insisting that they can’t escape Donald Trump now or if he loses.

Obama’s entering the final two weeks of campaigning focused on keeping enthusiasm and turnout high, out to discredit the Republican Party as a whole and push voters to stay in the booth until the very end, from the presidential race all the way down to state representative races he’s getting involved in.


Campaigning here in Nevada, a swing state and the home of one of the most Senate competitive races in the country — and according to polls, the only currently Democratic seat that could still flip Republican — Obama singled out GOP nominee Rep. Joe Heck, landing on him repeatedly with calls of “What the heck?” and “Heck, no” as he recounted the congressman’s past support for Trump.

Even Trump knows where the race is headed, Obama said, which explains why he’s complaining about the election being rigged: “that means he’s losing.”

After being introduced by Catherine Cortez Masto, the former state attorney general and current Democratic candidate, Obama predicted that Heck, if elected, “is going to have the Koch Brothers on line 1 and Donald Trump on line 2. When Donald Trump starts his TV network, I’m sure Joe Heck will be right up on there.”

But Obama’s argument was wider than that.

“‘We’ll check Hillary’s power. We’ll be a counterweight,’” Obama said, mocking Republicans who’ve shifted their campaign argument in the face of Trump’s cratering polls. “No, no, no, no. They’ve been in charge of Congress now for the last six years basically. What have they gotten done? How have they helped you?”

Obama hit the Republicans on blocking immigration reform, early childhood education and infrastructure. These are the people who shut down the government, and threatened to do it again over Planned Parenthood funding.

“A vote for them is basically more gridlock,” Obama said. “That’s their argument. That’s not a good argument.”

Heck and other Republicans who say they’ve backed away from Trump now, Obama said, have no credibility. Why weren’t they speaking up all the other times, he asked, if they believed in family values, or were such strict constitutionalists and he’d threatened the press, said he’d throw Clinton in jail and taking a stand against birthright citizenship.

“Apparently has not heard of the First, Fifth and Fourteenth amendment. Why did you support him?” Obama said. “Why didnt you offer him your pocket Constitution like Captain Khan’s father did?”