Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that there was only one way to understand his comment about “Second Amendment people” having the potential to stop Hillary Clinton: his way.
“There can be no other interpretation,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
The Republican nominee said at a North Carolina rally that there was “nothing you could do” to stop Clinton from appointing Supreme Court justices who would abolish the Second Amendment if she won the election.
“Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don’t know,” he added.
His remarks, which many read as a casual reference to an assassination attempt, sparked a firestorm among pundits and elected officials.
Trump and his boosters, including Hannity, have insisted that the comment was a reference to the voting power of gun owners in the 2016 race.
“Obviously you’re saying that there’s a strong political movement within the Second Amendment, and if people mobilize and vote, they can stop Hillary from having this impact on the court. But that’s not how the media is spinning it,” Hannity insisted, after reminding the audience again that he was “pulling the lever for Donald Trump in this election.”
Trump agreed with Hannity’s interpretation, describing gun owners as a “strong, powerful movement.”
“There are few things so powerful, I have to say, in terms of politics. There is few things [sic]. And I happen to think that if they actually did even bring this up, I think it’s a good thing for me because it’s going to tell people more about me with respect to the second amendment because Hillary Clinton wants to essentially abolish the Second Amendment,” he said.
Clinton said during her nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention that she had no intention of disarming Americans.
“I’m not here to repeal the Second Amendment. I’m not here to take away your guns. I just didn’t want you to be shot by someone who shouldn’t have a gun in the first place,” she said.
Clinton claimed Trump, who was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, was “in the pocket” of the gun lobby.
