Feature: Trump supporters blast Clinton for corruption, calling for her arrest

Supporters of U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted his rival Hillary Clinton for corruption at an event in Virginia, while demanding the Democratic nominee be locked up.

"The American people need the truth. We're tired of lies," a Trump supporter identified only as Krishna told Xinhua outside the campaign event.

"She's got to pay for it," the woman said when asked about Clinton's alleged negligence concerning U.S. national security.

Such calls have been heard among Trump supporters across the country in recent weeks, on the heels of the Federal Bureau of Investigation chief's statement that Clinton was "extremely careless" in dealing with the nation's secrets while she was secretary of state during U.S. President Barack Obama's first term.

While Clinton was cleared of any wrongdoing, critics are slamming her for using a personal email account and a private server at home to conduct business as secretary of state.

Outside the event on Trump's campaign trail, in which he spoke to an audience of around 1,000, hundreds of supporters waited to see the New York billionaire in a line that snaked around the building.

On the street outside the local high school where the event was held, several dozen anti-Trump protesters held placards -- many of them students at the high school -- and got honks of support from the horns of passing motorists.

For Trump supporters, their reasons for supporting the brash businessman vary, including his economic policy, foreign policy to his support to the nation's police after two incidents in which officers were ambushed and shot dead by anti-cop assailants.

A supporter, who identified himself as Judge, claimed that "this country has been corrupt since Barack Obama's been president."

Of Clinton's email controversy, he said it is an example of her corruption. "I think she should be in prison," he said.

A young woman who identified herself as Sally said she would vote for anyone except Clinton. "She's a criminal," she said.

Inside the event, before Trump took the stage, the crowd broke into chants of "Lock her up! Lock her up! Lock her up!"

Indeed, Clinton's email scandal overshadowed last week's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, when pundits and U.S. media focused on the issue for the first day or two.

Clinton has also been embroiled in another controversy in recent weeks. Leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee showed that it tried to tip the scales in favor of Clinton to win against her opponents, mainly Democratic rival Bernie Sanders, in the primaries.

The scandal grabbed headlines nationwide and had sparked angry protests by Sanders supporters outside the convention's venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Sanders supporters said the email scandal showed that the Democratic Party rigged the system to allow Clinton to unfairly grab the party's nomination for president.

Trump has been quick to pounce on Clinton's alleged corruption, and is continuing his narrative of "crooked Hillary," which is a major part of the billionaire's strategy in the campaign.

During his speech in Ashburn on Tuesday, Trump mocked Clinton and asked the crowd: "Does she seem presidential to you?"

"No!" chanted the audience.

Some protesters outside the event, however, told Xinhua a different story, with one student whose parents immigrated from abroad saying Trump's statements about immigrants are "heartbreaking."

Indeed, Trump has in the past compared Mexicans to rapists and called for a halt of Muslims coming to the United States.

Another anti-Trump protester who identified himself as Matthew said that he did not support Trump's views or morals. "This is where I grew up, and I will not let someone preach bigotry and hate in a place that I call home," he said.

The two candidates were last week running neck and neck in the Real Clear Politics poll average, with Trump ahead by a hair. As of Tuesday, Clinton has slid ahead by four points, although there is a 2-point margin of error in most polls, which means the two candidates are essentially still running even. Endi