But the Secret Service, tasked with protecting the president and presidential nominees, was taking Trump’s remarks seriously and has spoken with Trump’s campaign about them, CNN reported.
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“There has been more than one conversation” on the topic, the official told CNN.
The campaign told USSS Donald Trump did not intend to incite violence. ‘And by the way, if – if she gets to pick her judges, [there’s] nothing you can do, folks’.
He added, ‘Although, the Second Amendment people – maybe there is.
Trump had told supporters that the gun lobby that they could “do” something about Ms Clinton – but it would be a “horrible day”.
The Secret Service, which protects presidential candidates, said on Twitter it was “aware of the comments made earlier this afternoon”, without specifically naming Trump.
Mr Trump sparked backlash after suggesting “Second Amendment people”, or gun owners, could take action against her.
“This is a political movement”. To hear Donald Trump, they could also be potential political assassins. Seriously, I mean like using his head before he opens his mouth.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll taken August 5-8 – before Trump’s latest controversy – showed that almost one-fifth of 396 registered Republicans said they want Trump to drop out of the race and another 10 percent said they “don’t know” whether the Republican nominee should or not.
He denied that his comments were created to incite violence, despite many seeing it that way, and a few insinuating that he may have been calling for Clinton’s assassination.
Secret Service communications director Cathy Mihoan has not confirmed a meeting between the agency, Trump, or his campaign staff.
“This was a joke …”
Clinton was delivering a shortened version of her stump speech, after arriving late to the rally from two other stops at local businesses, when she commented on Trump’s latest controversy.
Trump has repeatedly bashed his opponent for seeking to abolish gun rights, while Clinton has said she favors tougher gun controls.
“Here we go: Trump line about 2nd Amendment advocates “doing something” about Clinton’s agenda will be misinterpreted as threat of violence”, he tweeted. “Words matter my friends, and if you are running to be president or you are president of the United States, words can have tremendous consequences”, Clinton said. “To think that joking about any kind of violence could be amusing … simply reflects a disregard for the impact of violence”. “I don’t like her”, said Smith, a 74-year-old retiree who lives in Clearwater, Florida.
But unlike some of my fellow conservatives who want to excuse everything Trump says as merely unfiltered and not politically correct, Trump is going too far.
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“By any objective analysis, this is a new low and unprecedented in the history of American presidential politics”, he wrote. CNN did not report whether the questions were raised to Trump himself.
