Speaking at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina on Tuesday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said “the Second Amendment” may be the only way to stop Hillary Clinton from getting to appoint federal judges if she wins the presidential election in November.
“Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment,” Trump said. “By the way, and 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.”
WATCH: Trump’s ‘2nd Amendment people’ comment raises concern on violence against Clinton
The Second Amendment gives American citizens the right to bear arms under the U.S. Constitution.
READ MORE: Donald Trump says Hillary Clinton’s leaked emails led to death of Iranian scientist
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Clinton wants to “abolish” the Second Amendment, something the former secretary of state has never said. His comments Tuesday appear to be a joke about using violence to stop Clinton or any judges she would appoint to the U.S. Supreme Court if she wins the general election in November.
WATCH: Top GOP members call Trump ‘dangerous’ to national security
Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook responded to Trump’s “second amendment” comments calling them “dangerous.”
Jason Miller, a senior media advisor for the Trump campaign, said the GOP candidate’s second amendment comment was in reference to the political action by gun-rights supporters.
Some members of Congress tweeted about Trump’s comments, reading them as a threat of violence against Hillary Clinton or against her possible future supreme court nominee.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump and his supporters suggested Clinton’s emails may be responsible for the death of an Iranian nuclear scientist who was executed for spying for the United States, even though there is no credible evidence of any such link, according to the U.S. State Department.
The U.S. Secret Service announced they were aware of Trump’s comments.