Donald Trump, a stubby-handed narcissist who appears to be losing a contest quite badly, just suggested that "2nd Amendment people" might be able to "do" something to prevent Hillary Clinton from picking Supreme Court justices, should Clinton be elected as president. It's hard to know what Trump expects gun-wielding people do to stop the President of the United States from doing something, but perhaps we can check in with the ghosts of John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald?
At a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina this afternoon, Trump said the following words: "If she gets to pick her judges—nothing you can do folks. Although the 2nd Amendment people maybe there is, I don't know." Here he is, saying that exact thing:
WHAT COULD IT MEAN?
Trump makes cryptic Second Amendment reference https://t.co/HH24xfRGp4 pic.twitter.com/sTmg47kKDG
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 9, 2016
Oh, hm.
Trump hints at assassination of Hillary Clinton by gun rights supporters https://t.co/9jx0M21aFs
— The Guardian (@guardian) August 9, 2016
Trump has not yet claimed he was "joking" about suggesting people assassinate his opponent, but his stellar PR team did say he was referring to 2nd Amendment people's "amazing spirit" and "power of unification," which gives them "great political power" when it comes to voting. I suppose these folks are REALLY EXCITED about using their "amazing spirits" to stop Hillary, right?
Watch the guy seated behind Trump react as he says it. Appears to say "whoa" or "wow." https://t.co/5iZCS9ybVV
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) August 9, 2016
Note that threatening a major candidate for the office of President and, in Clinton's case, a member of the immediate family of a former President, is in fact a crime, not that any of that seems to matter in this epic shitshow of an election. It's also important to remember that even if Trump loses this election, we have to live in a country with his supporters who, again, were just told that guns might be a good way to stop a president.
Anyway, Hillary didn't seem super thrilled that Trump suggested people maybe shoot her:
"A person seeking to be the President of the United States should not suggest violence in any way." pic.twitter.com/Uu55CBCqdK
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 9, 2016
Please fucking God let this election be over already so I can start breathing again.
One big problem with Trump is that he often has trouble articulating coherent thoughts at above a 3rd grade level https://t.co/iRgHP8fqqn
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) August 9, 2016
Update 5:05 p.m.: Good update.
Just in: “The US Secret Service is aware of Mr. Trump’s comments” - USSS Comms Director Cathy Milhoan to #CNN
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 9, 2016