At a rally Tuesday in Wilmington, N.C., Donald Trump went off script and once again has started a controversy about the true meaning of what was said.
Speaking at the rally, Trump was talking about his opponent, Hillary Clinton and the appointment of Supreme Court Justices, should she win. Trump went on to say, “second amendment people” could forcibly stop her.
What exactly did he mean? Was it a threat? Was it a joke? Was the statement blown out of proportion by the media?
You decide.
Here is some of the coverage this morning and a look at the latest polls:
Trump On Second Amendment Backlash: ‘I Think It’s A Good Thing For Me’: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Tuesday night he’s benefitting from the controversy he created earlier in the day by suggesting “the Second Amendment people” might forcefully stop Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton from appointing Supreme Court justices. After an outcry from Democrats and gun-control advocates over remarks that appeared to obliquely encourage violence, Trump said he didn’t mean to suggest any harm. The real villains, he said on Fox News, were the media. – HuffingtonPost
NRA circles the wagons around Trump: The gun rights group spends big on new ads against Clinton as Trump comments unearth some dissent within the NRA. The shotgun wedding between Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association has been rocky, but the gun rights group is standing by its man. Just hours after Donald Trump sparked yet another controversy with remarks that seemed, to some, to encourage violence against Hillary Clinton, the NRA offered its biggest gift yet to the Republican nominee – a $3 million ad buy attacking Clinton as a hypocrite. – Politico
6 times Donald Trump felt he was misunderstood by the media: Donald Trump’s suggestion that “Second Amendment people” could stop Hillary Clinton if she became president and appointed anti-gun judges sparked outrage and shock among his critics. Less shocking was Trump’s response, calling out the “dishonest media.” “It’s called the power of unification — 2nd Amendment people have amazing spirit and are tremendously unified, which gives them great political power,” said Jason Miller, senior communications adviser for the Trump campaign, in response to the uproar over the comment. “And this year, they will be voting in record numbers, and it won’t be for Hillary Clinton, it will be for Donald Trump.” – USAToday
Trump’s remarks on gun rights, Clinton unleash torrent of criticism: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that gun rights activists could act to stop Democratic rival Hillary Clinton from nominating liberal U.S. Supreme Court justices, igniting yet another fire storm of criticism just as he sought to steer clear of controversy. “If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks,” Trump said at a rally. “Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know,” he continued. The U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear firearms – Reuters
And now the polls
One-in-five U.S. Republicans want Trump to drop out: Reuters/Ipsos poll: Nearly one-fifth of registered Republicans want Donald Trump to drop out of the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday, reflecting the turmoil his candidacy has sown within his party. – Reuters
From RealClearPolitics.com:
| Wednesday, August 10 |
| Tuesday, August 9 |
