Donald Trump told supporters in North Carolina on Tuesday that there might be something supporters of gun rights could do to stop Hillary Clinton from naming Supreme Court justices, prompting critics to charge that he was suggesting his rival could be shot.
"Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment," Trump told the crowd in Wilmington, N.C. "By the way, and if she gets to pick _ if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don't know."
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook released a statement saying: "This is simple _ what Trump is saying is dangerous. A person seeking to be the president of the United States should not suggest violence in any way."
Clinton's main super PAC, Priorities USA, also denounced Trump.
"Donald Trump Just Suggested That Someone Shoot Hillary Clinton," the group's spokesman Justin Barasky said in an email to reporters. "THIS IS NOT OK."
Jason Miller, Trump's senior media adviser, insisted that Trump was referring only to political action by gun rights supporters, and he assailed media coverage of the remark, releasing what he called a "statement on dishonest media" after the rally.
"It's called the power of unification _ 2nd Amendment people have amazing spirit and are tremendously unified, which gives them great political power," it said. "And this year, they will be voting in record numbers, and it won't be for Hillary Clinton, it will be for Donald Trump."
