EAGAN, Minn. -- For the first time, Mitt Romney found himself on Wednesday on the receiving end of a shimmery welcome that’s plagued some of his competitors – a glitter bomb.
Walking on stage for a rally in Eagan, a protester in the crowd tossed glitter on Romney, who was flanked by his wife Ann and son Josh. Romney smiled, told the man to raise his hand, and treated the action as if it was a result of his Tuesday victory in the Florida primary.
“Hey listen you guys, I’m delighted to be here with you, this is an exciting time, I’m happy for the celebration. This is confetti! We just won Florida!” he said.
He then said, ““Oh I've got glitter in my hair. That's not all that's in my hair, I’ll tell you that. I glue it on every morning, whether I need to or not.”
According to a local reporter with WCCO, the protestor has glittered presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich. His motivations seem to lie with immigration – his father was reportedly deported to Colombia.
In addition to Bachmann and Gingrich, Rick Santorum has been the repeated target of glitter bombs by other protestors.
Securty forces removed the man from the crowd, where about 300 came to see Romney, who was joined by former Sen. Norm Coleman and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Click through to watch this and other moments of confrontation with hecklers on the campaign trail.
PHOTO: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
A gay-rights activist (not pictured) throws a cup of glitter on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney as he walks to the stage at the start of a campaign rally in Eagan, Minn., on Feb. 1, 2012.
PHOTO: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
A protester is removed from the auditorium at the University of Iowa as Newt Gingrich speaks during a discussion about brain research on Dec. 14, 2011. Click to the next slide to watch footage from the exchange.
PHOTO: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
The former House speaker was at the University of Iowa College of Public Health in Iowa City, Iowa.
PHOTO: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
A heckler at President Obama's Los Angeles fundraiser on September 26 shouted at the president about Jesus Christ before being escorted out by security from L.A.'s House of Blues. He also called Obama "antichrist."
PHOTO: PHOTO: PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/AP
At a fundraiser in San Francisco in April, Obama was heckled by a table of 10 people who broke into song, criticizing the treatment of Army soldier Bradley Manning, who is accused of passing top-secret material to Wikileaks. Their chorus? "We paid our dues, where's our change?"
PHOTO: PHOTO: PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/AP
While speaking at the Iowa State Fair in August, Mitt Romney was confronted by a group affiliated with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. They shouted questions to the former Massachusetts governor about Social Security, as well as tax rates for corporations and the wealthy. "Corporations are people, my friend," Romney responded.
PHOTO: PHOTO: CHARLIE NEIBERGALL/AP
While campaigning in a Portsmouth, N.H., restaurant in August, Texas Gov. Rick Perry faced protests from the New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans, who oppose his proposed changes to Medicare and Social Security.
PHOTO: PHOTO: DARREN McCOLLESTER/GETTY IMAGES
At the Republican debate held in Orlando on Sept. 22, members of the crowd booed after Stephen Hill, a gay soldier stationed in Iraq, asked the candidates if they would honor the end of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
PHOTO: PHOTO: JOHN RAOUX/AP
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., has twice been heckled for her stances on abortion and same-sex marriage during Iowa campaign events. In April, a group of students at the University of Iowa questioned her at an event on campus, and a gay rights advocate did the same in August at the Iowa State Fair.
PHOTO: PHOTO: CHARLES DHARAPAK/AP
At the Republican debate in Tampa on Sept. 12, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, was booed by the crowd for explaining why he believes U.S. occupation had a role in causing the 9/11 attacks. "We have to be honest with ourselves," Paul said. "What would we do if another country, say China, did to us what we do to all those countries over there?"
PHOTO: PHOTO: CHRIS O'MEARA/AP
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