U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell has called on the Secret Service to investigate Donald Trump for his controversial comments about “Second Amendment people” stopping Hillary Clinton’s appointment of Supreme Court justices.
“Donald Trump suggested someone kill Sec. Clinton. We must take people at their word. @SecretService must investigate #TrumpThreat,” the California Democrat tweeted Tuesday.
Asked if he meant what he wrote, Mr. Swalwell responded: “Yes. And I trust they will uphold their duty of protecting presidential candidates. Even if it’s protecting one from another.”
Media outlets have accused Mr. Trump of threatening violence against his Democratic rival after impromptu comments made Tuesday during a campaign stop in North Carolina.
“Hillary wants to abolish — essentially abolish the Second Amendment,” Mr. Trump said. “By the way, 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.”
Mr. Trump later slammed the “dishonest media” for spinning his words and insisted he was referring to the power that Second Amendment supporters hold.
A former top Secret Service official told Time magazine that the remark could be considered a “veiled threat.”
“Look, this guy is coming pretty close to the edge here,” the former official said, adding that the Secret Service would “absolutely” interview Mr. Trump about his comments, Time reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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