President Obama -- Ray Rice Is Not a 'Real Man'

Real men don't hit women ... so says President Barack Obama -- who issued a scathing statement against domestic abuse in the wake of the Ray Rice elevator video posted on TMZ Sports.

Moments after Rice was cut from the Baltimore Ravens Monday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest issued a statement saying, "The President is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society."

"Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that's true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors."