A protester who interrupted US President Donald Trump's rally in Corinth, Mississippi, was met with chants of "USA! USA!" from the crowd, as Trump joked about the disruption and accused hecklers of being paid to interrupt his speeches.
Trump made light of the incident, saying the protester had disrupted him just as he was about to deliver a punchline.
"Go home, go home... for $250, he broke up my punchline, and it was a beauty," Trump said, mocking the heckler.
The president also alleged that such interruptions were part of a paid protest campaign, attributing them to American investor George Soros.
Trump added that protesters were now being booked, though further details about the incident were not immediately available.
"I don't mind when they do that, but it's always right at my punchline," Trump said. "I've had three punchlines, and they time them beautifully."
Trump's remarks drew attention as the crowd drowned out the disruption with chants of "USA! USA!" Supporters also dismissed the heckler, with one reaction describing the incident by saying, "Mississippi wasn't having it."
Trump further mocked the protesters, calling them "serious losers."
The rally in Corinth came with eight days remaining before the US midterm elections.
Trump was campaigning in Mississippi, a reliably red state, in support of Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, as Democrats see a narrow opening to make gains in the state.