Donald Trump landed in yet another controversy on Tuesday by appearing to suggest that people resolute about their Second Amendment right to bear arms can deal with Hillary Clinton if she, as President, ventures to revoke the right and appoints anti-gun justices to the Supreme Court.
The New York billionaire’s off-the-cuff comment at a campaign rally triggered an immediate uproar with the Clinton campaign and media outlets dubbing it an incitement to violence and the Trump campaign dismissing the interpretation as “completely ridiculous”.
Speaking at Wilmington in North Carolina, Trump sought to fire up the crowd by alleging that Clinton wants to “essentially abolish” the Second Amendment, saying: “By the way, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks.” After a pause, he added: “Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.”
The comment spread like wildfire across media outlets. The Clinton campaign called the remark “dangerous”, commenting: “A person seeking to be the President of the United States should not suggest violence in any way.” Clinton supporters went on social media accusing Trump of effectively calling for his rival’s assassination.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted that Trump “makes death threats because he’s a pathetic coward who can’t handle the fact that he’s losing to a girl”.
And New York’s anti-Trump tabloid, Daily News, asked the billionaire to end his presidential campaign, writing in bold print: “This isn’t a joke anymore.”
The Trump campaign lost little time to dismiss the accusations. Terming them “completely ridiculous”, Trump’s senior communications adviser Jason Miller told CBS News: “The Clinton campaign is desperate and is obviously throwing all sorts of outrageous charges. I am surprised so many reporters are falling hook-line-and-sinker for what is obviously a ridiculous charge.”
Hours later, Trump himself defended his comments, insisting that he was telling his supporters to use the power of their vote to stop Clinton from appointing justices who could restrict their Second Amendment rights.
“This is a political movement. This is a strong political movement, the Second Amendment,” he told Fox News, adding: “There can be no other interpretation. Even reporters have told me. I mean, give me a break.”
Clinton is a strong protagonist of tightening gun control laws, but she has never called for the abolition of gun ownership rights as such, while Trump, who enjoys the endorsement of the pro-gun lobby, has vowed not to impose new restrictions on gun purchases.
Coming to Trump’s defence, the National Rifle Association said in a Twitter post that “there’s nothing we can do” if Clinton got elected, urging voters to defeat her in November.