Summary: The left and the right are interpreting Donald Trump’s latest second amendment remarks very differently.
Donald Trump loves to say controversial things, but his latest remark has those on the left especially alarmed. But those on the right said that his critics are twisting his comments.
At a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, the Republican presidential candidate spoke about the Second Amendment but then his speech allegedly went off-script.
“Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the second amendment,” Trump said. “If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the second amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what, that will be a horrible day.”
Trump said that his rival, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, wanted to get rid of the right to bear arms, which she has vehemently denied; but it was his allusion that gun rights fans could do something if she were elected that has sparked outrage amongst her supporters.
“Don’t treat this as a political misstep,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said in a Tweet. “It’s an assassination threat, seriously upping the possibility of a national tragedy & crisis.”
While the left heard the remark as one calling for violence, the right said Trump’s words were misinterpreted. For instance, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions said that his wording “may have been awkwardly phrased,” but that his intention was not malicious.
Trump defended himself to Sean Hannity of Fox News after the North Carolina rally. He said that he meant that second amendment supporters needed to unite to have their voices heard and that he was surprised at the assassination interpretation.
“It was amazing because nobody in that room thought anything other than what you just said,” Trump said, after Hannity said he interpreted Trump’s words as mobilizing second amendment supporters to vote.
Despite Trump’s clarification, Gun control groups continue to stress his remarks could incite violence.
“It may well be an incitement to violence, but understand it’s the basic theory on which the modern gun industry is built. Their core audience is people who hate the government and believe they’re going to have to take up arms against it. My guess is this is a deliberate dog whistle to that significant number of people,” said Mark Glaze who used to run Everytown for Gun Safety. “Who knows what could happen?”
The National Rifle Association also weighed in on the controversy. Spokeswoman Jennifer Baker said that the left’s interpretation of his remarks were a “distraction created by the dishonest media.”
Do you believe Trump was trying to incite violence against Clinton? Or were his words twisted? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: The Guardian
