Donald Trump’s ongoing spat with the media escalated Wednesday when he accused CNN of running “a made up story” about a meeting with the U.S. Secret Service to discuss his comments regarding the Second Amendment and rival Hillary Clinton.
The controversy erupted at a North Carolina rally Tuesday. The Republican Presidential nominee told a crowd packed with pro-gun supporters of the Second Amendment – which guarantees American citizens the right to bear arms – that they might be able to stop Clinton from appointing U.S. Supreme Court justices who could weaken gun rights if she were elected.
“Hillary wants to abolish -- essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks,” said Trump. “Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know.”
Critics say the comments could be interpreted as a call for violence, even Clinton’s assassination. Trump blamed the media for twisting his words, saying that he was simply trying to unify gun owners against Clinton in the race for the White House.
CNN quoted an unnamed Secret Service official Wednesday as saying “There has been more than one conversation” with Trump regarding his comments about gun rights. Trump’s campaign reportedly told Secret Service agents that he did not intend to incite violence.
The Republican nominee shot back at the U.S. broadcaster Wednesday, tweeting “No such meeting or conversation ever happened - a made up story by ‘low ratings’ @CNN.”
Secret Service communications director Cathy Mihoan has not confirmed a meeting between the agency, Trump, or his campaign staff. The Secret Service said it was aware of the comments in a statement Tuesday.
Trump’s Republican supporters have downplayed the remarks, suggesting he was joking, or that left-leaning media outlets have intentionally inflated the story.
“To a lot of people listening, even those in the room, clearly there was another implication they were left with,” ABC News political director Rick Klein told CTV News Channel from Washington. “Donald Trump clearly wasn’t inciting violence, I think, but he was more than imprecise with his words.”
Clinton addressed the controversy at a speaking event in Des Moines, Iowa Wednesday.
“Words matter, my friends,” Clinton told the crowd. “And if you are running to be president, or are president of the United States, words can have tremendous influence.”
Daniel Lippman, a reporter with Politico, says Trump’s remarks did not seem like a joke, but rather a clumsy attempt to play to a group of gun supporters.
“This is a very dangerous comment. Very rarely do you see politicians mentioning the second amendment, violence, and a candidate in the same sentence,” he told CTV News Channel from Washington.
