Rudy Giuliani Defends Donald Trump's Second Amendment Comments on 'GMA'

Giuliani talked with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos this morning.

ByABC News
August 10, 2016, 8:06 AM

— -- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani today defended Donald Trump's controversial comments about the Second Amendment that Hillary Clinton’s campaign and others interpreted as a suggestion of violence against her.

"We know Donald Trump is not particularly indirect," Giuliani told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America.” "If Donald Trump was going to say something like that, he'd say something like that.

"You know how speeches go. He was talking about how they [gun rights advocates] have the power to keep her out of office. That's what he was talking about," he added. "With a crowd like that, if that's what they thought he'd meant, they'd have gone wild."

Trump made headlines Tuesday when he said that gun rights advocates might be able to do something to stop Clinton from choosing the country's judges.

"If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks," Trump said Tuesday at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. "Although the Second Amendment folks, maybe there is. I don't know."

Clinton's campaign seized on the remarks. "This is simple — what Trump is saying is dangerous," campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement Tuesday. "A person seeking to be president of the United States should not suggest violence in any way."

The Secret Service also said it was aware of the remarks.

Trump stood by his remarks in an interview with Fox News Tuesday night. "There can be no other interpretation," he said. "I mean, give me a break."

Giuliani also hit Clinton over the Orlando shooter's father, who appeared behind her during a campaign rally this week.

"Why is he such an avid supporter? What is drawing him to Hillary Clinton?" he said of Seddique Mateen, whose son Omar killed 49 people at Pulse nightclub in June.

"I believe it's her soft stance on Islamic extremist terrorism."

He also defended Trump against 50 military experts who signed a letter saying they would not be supporting his presidential bid in November.

"They don't know Donald Trump the way I do. I've known him for 28 years," Giuliani said. "I know he is a responsible man, a very, very successful man, a man who achieved a great deal and can be trusted much better than Hillary Clinton, who has been found to be extremely careless with the use of national security information."

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