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Trump defends stance on gun rights, immigration at Houston rally

Xinhua, June 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump defended his stance on gun rights and immigration at a rally in the United States' fourth largest city of Houston on Friday night.

Trump told thousands of his supporters at the rally in northern Houston that he supported the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution on gun rights.

"Nobody will protect your Second Amendment like Donald Trump," he said, adding that the worst shooting massacre in U.S. history could have been prevented earlier this week if patrons of the nightclub involved in Orlando, Florida, had been armed.

"If some of those wonderful people had guns strapped to their waist or strapped to their ankle and this son of a (expletive) comes out and starts shooting, and one of the people happened to have it and goes 'boom, boom,' that would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight," he said. "So don't let them take their guns away. We're going to save your Second Amendment."

Trump said that his presumptive Democrat opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, would destroy the second amendment granting Americans the right to bear arms.

On his immigration policy, Trump reiterated his plan to protect the U.S. border with neighboring Mexico by building a wall.

"It's going to be as beautiful as a wall can be. I have to make it beautiful because maybe one day they'll name it the Trump Wall," he said.

Trump arrived early Friday evening at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center just north of Houston. Security was on high alert as peaceful groups of protesters displayed anti-Trump slogans outside the center and downtown, and one man armed with a gun was arrested prior to Trump's arrival.

Earlier that afternoon, Trump attended a private fundraiser in Houston's wealthiest neighborhood, where about 200 guests paid from 5,400 to 250,000 U.S. dollars for entry and personally meet the hotel, casino and golf course entrepreneur and former TV game show host, who is now heading the GOP presidential nomination.

Houston is Trump's final stop of a two-day Texas tour that included a Dallas fundraiser and rally before a crowd of 3,500 people on Thursday.

This is Trump's first campaign to Texas since entering the Republican race one year ago. Endi