Donald Trump is again at the center of a new scandal after appearing to suggest his supporters could stop his rival Hillary Clinton by exercising their gun rights.
The republican candidate said that Hillary Clinton would put liberal justices on the Supreme Court if she wins the presidency in November, threatening gun ownership rights.
Speaking at a rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump hinted that gun rights advocates could stop her taking power.
That sparked an online outrage, many accusing the billionaire of inciting violence.
Donald Trump replied that he was only urging gun rights supporters to vote in large numbers.
The remarks that sparked the firestorm were made at a rally in Wilmington on August 9.
Photo Getty Images
Donald Trump said of his Democratic rival: “Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks.
“But the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.”
The Second Amendment enshrines the right to bear arms in the US Constitution.
A man sitting behind Donald Trump as he made the remarks assumed a look of disbelief as he heard them.
Twitter users were quick to respond to Donald Trump’s comments, criticizing him for appearing to encourage gun violence.
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy said that “unstable people” who hate Hillary Clinton could respond.
Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, said “what Trump is saying is dangerous”.
Donald Trump was quick to respond, tweeting that he was referring to the political power of gun rights advocates.
His campaign said: “Second 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.”
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani backed Donald Trump, saying it clearly was not a threat but the press was involved in a “conspiracy to elect Hillary Clinton”.
Some Trump supporters leaving the rally in Wilmington told CNN they were not concerned by the remarks because they were clearly a joke and they liked the fact he spoke off-the-cuff.
The National Rifle Association also backed Donald Trump and warned Hillary Clinton would pick judges that would not uphold the Second Amendment.
Hillary Clinton has made tightening some gun laws part of her campaign but there is no evidence that she wants to abolish the right to bear arms.
A spokeswoman for the Secret Service said the agency was aware of Donald Trump’s comments but refused to answer additional questions.
Donald Trump’s remarks come after eight days of negative headlines, controversial remarks and some leading Republicans saying they cannot vote for him in November’s presidential election.
President Barack Obama has unveiled wide-ranging measures aimed at curbing gun violence.
The proposals could echo measures, considered the toughest in the nation, passed in New York State on Tuesday.
Barack Obama has said he favors bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, as well as broader background checks.
The US gun control debate has been revived by last month’s mass shooting at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.
There, a gunman shot dead 27 people, including 20 children and his own mother.
At 11:45 EST on Wednesday, Barack Obama is expected to unveil the new proposals at the White House, flanked by children who wrote him letters after the Newtown shooting.
Barack Obama has already acknowledged his proposals will face stiff opposition in Congress. But he is said to be weighing as many as 19 specific measures he could take through unilateral executive action.
These could include tougher punishment of gun trafficking, aggressive prosecution of people who lie on background checks, and an end to limits on government research into gun violence.
President Barack Obama is expected today to unveil wide-ranging measures aimed at curbing gun violence
The US top gun lobby, the National Rifle Association (NRA) says it will fight any attempts to limit access to guns or ammunition.
Barack Obama’s expected proposals are the result of a task force led by Vice-President Joe Biden, who met the president on Monday and Tuesday to share the group’s recommendations.
The Biden task force held meetings with gun control advocates and firearms owners’ groups, as well as representatives of the entertainment industry.
On Tuesday, the New York state legislature comfortably passed the first gun control law since the shootings in Newtown. Supporters said the state’s firearms restrictions were now the tightest in the nation.
“Common sense can win,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said.
“You can overpower the extremists with intelligence and with reason and with common sense.”
The New York measures include a wider ban on assault weapons, a law limiting high-capacity ammunition magazines, and provisions to keep guns from mentally ill people who make threats.
Some gun owners will also have to register them with authorities.
According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Monday evening, about half of Americans say they have grown more supportive of gun control measures since the Newtown shooting.
The poll found 58% of respondents back a ban on the most powerful rifles.
During the press conference, President Barack Obama urged Congress:
to ban “military-style” assault weapons such as those used in several recent mass shootings
impose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds
introduce background checks on all gun sales; currently private sales and some sales at gun shows are exempt
pass a ban on possession and sale of armour-piercing bullets
introduce new gun-trafficking laws
Finally approve the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Barack Obama added he would sign a directive so that government agencies can conduct research into gun crime
Among the unilateral steps Barack Obama pledged to take was to end a ban on gun-violence research by a prominent federal agency.
Barack Obama acknowledged his legislative push would encounter stiff opposition in Congress.
“This will be difficult,” he said.
“I will put everything I’ve got into this.”
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