By Callum Borchers Globe Correspondent

Mitt Romney supporters are heckling President Obama. Romney has refused to heckle the hecklers. So now the Obama campaign is heckling Romney.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was asked Tuesday during an interview on Fox News Radio about the backers who have made a habit of disrupting Obama campaign events. During a memorable news conference at the Massachusetts State House three weeks ago, Romney enthusiasts chanted and yelled throughout remarks by Obama senior strategist David Axelrod and other Democrats. They have crashed more recent rallies also.

Romney said “it would be a nice thing” for the heckling to stop but noted that Obama supporters have adopted the practice also and said “I could assure you that we do not believe in unilateral disarmament.”

He went on to joke that “America has a long history of heckling and free speech.”

The Obama campaign quickly blasted Romney for his response.

“We have sent a strong message to our supporters that this campaign should be an open exchange of ideas, not one where we drown out the other side by heckling and crashing events,” Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said, referring to a weekend tweet in which Axelrod condemned heckling by Obama backers.

“Campaigns are a reflection of their candidate,” LaBolt continued, “and Mitt Romney has a different view, endorsing heckling. With all that’s at stake in this election, Americans deserve better.”