In just three hours, 2nd amendment became the top trending topic on Twitter, with more than 60,000 posts mentioning the term.
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The Republican nominee and his supporters have said variously that his comments were a “good joke gone bad”, and a distortion by the “dishonest” media.
Donald Trump on Tuesday seemed to imply that people with guns could stop Hillary Clinton as president from appointing anti-gun judges. Trump was addressing supporters of the Second Amendment over Hillary Clinton’s stance on gun-laws and his remarks have been interpreted by some as a call for violence. But the supporter who introduced him, former NY mayor Rudy Giuliani, sought to clarify the remarks, insisting Trump had not aimed to incite violence. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said then that neither Trump nor his campaign agree with Baldasaro’s comments. “When the press is listening – whatever you say is going to go viral”. “They are doing everything they can to destroy Donald Trump”.
The Secret Service said it is aware of the comments. This time, the Republican candidate appeared to suggest that gun owners could do something about Hillary Clinton if she picked Supreme Court judges in favour of gun control.
“Though the Second Amendment people, maybe there is”, he added. “Unstable people with powerful guns and an unhinged hatred for Hillary are listening to you, [Donald Trump]”. She wants to leave you unprotected in your home. This is a political movement.
The New Zealand political preferences of those who support Trump suggest that 3.4 per cent of Green supporters also support Trump; 5.7 per cent of Labour supporters; 9.3 per cent of National supporters; and 23 per cent of New Zealand First supporters.
Fellow Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of MA also responded on Twitter, alleging Trump, “makes death threats because he’s a pathetic coward who can’t handle the fact that he’s losing to a girl”.
The majority of the victims were LGBT people of colour.
“This is simple, what Trump is saying is unsafe”.
“What he meant was, you have the power to vote against her”, Giuliani said.
By Tuesday evening, Clinton’s campaign was fundraising off the firestorm, asking supporters by email to chip in $1 to “show that we don’t tolerate this kind of politics in America”.
The figures underscored deep divisions within the Republican Party over Trump’s candidacy.
Contrary to Mr Trump’s remarks, Mrs Clinton has made her support for gun rights a key piece of her stump speech in a bid to pre-empt attacks from Mr Trump and groups like the NRA.
In addition, 50 prominent national security experts signed an open letter saying they would not vote for Trump in the fall, saying he “lacks the character, values, and experience” to be president.
“Don’t treat this as a political misstep”.
“Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, tweeted: “@realDonaldTrump makes death threats because he’s a pathetic coward who can’t handle the fact that he’s losing to a girl”.
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The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms, and Trump’s comment could potentially be perceived as an invitation to use violence against the former Secretary of State.
