The National Rifle Association tweeted a brief, two-part statement Tuesday afternoon defending Donald Trump's comment earlier in the day about Hillary Clinton and the Second Amendment.

"@RealDonaldTrump is right. If @HillaryClinton gets to pick her anti-[Second Amendment] #SCOTUS judges, there's nothing we can do. #NeverHillary," the NRA stated. "But there IS something we will do on #ElectionDay: Show up and vote for the [Second Amendment]!"

The NRA endorsed Trump's general election candidacy in May, with the organization's top lobbyist, Christopher Cox, reasoning, "We have to unite, and we have to unite right now."


During a speech Tuesday, the Republican nominee for president made a confusing remark about defending the Second Amendment from Clinton and her would-be judicial appointees. "Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know," he said in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The Trump campaign insisted that he was only referring to the "political power" of gun activists and not making a threat, as the Clinton camp suggested. "It's called the power of unification—2nd Amendment people have amazing spirit and are tremendously unified, which gives them great political power. And this year, they will be voting in record numbers, and it won't be for Hillary Clinton, it will be for Donald Trump," Trump communications adviser Jason Miller said in a statement.

The U.S. Secret Service told media that it was "aware of Mr. Trump's comments," but declined to say anything further.