Trump: '2nd Amendment people' might be able to stop Clinton from picking SCOTUS justices
Donald Trump suggested that proud gun owners could take matters into their own hands if anyone decided to abolish the Second Amendment.
At a rally on Tuesday in North Carolina, Trump asserted that Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton wants to "essentially abolish" the Second Amendment, a claim that the Clinton campaign has repeatedly denied.
"If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. All the Second Amendment people — maybe there is," Trump said, referring to appointments to the US Supreme Court.
The Republican presidential candidate's comments were somewhat unclear as he flipped between praising the National Rifle Association and warning of the threats of curbing access to firearms.
"Speaking to the NRA folks — who are great," Trump said. "If you don't do the right thing, you're not going to have a Second Amendment, or you're not going to have much of it left."
The Trump campaign quickly attempted to clarify the nominee's statement shortly after the speech.
"It's called the power of unification — 2nd Amendment people have amazing spirit and are tremendously unified, which gives them great political power. And this year, they will be voting in record numbers, and it won't be for Hillary Clinton, it will be for Donald Trump," Jason Miller, the senior communications adviser for the Trump campaign, said in a statement.
For its part, the Clinton campaign quickly condemned Trump's comments.
"This is simple—what Trump is saying is dangerous. A person seeking to be the President of the United States should not suggest violence in any way," campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement.
The Clinton campaign has repeatedly pushed back on Trump for claiming that Clinton wants to eliminate the Second Amendment. The Democratic presidential candidate does support a number of gun-control measures, including expanding background checks and increasing regulations on gun sellers.
UPDATE: The US Secret Service issued the following tweet Tuesday evening:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/763142627202048000
The Secret Service is aware of the comments made earlier this afternoon.
Watch Trump's comments below: