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Clinton Touts Jobs Plan, Fires Back At Trump "Second Amendment" Comments

Clay Masters/IPR
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks to a crowd at Lincoln High School in Des Moines

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was back in Des Moines Wednesday for her first appearance since her close win over Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses. 

After touring a local t-shirt store and stopping at a bakery, Clinton spoke to about 1500 people packed in the gym at Lincoln High School. She says in her first 100 days as president she’ll make the biggest investment in good paying jobs since World War Two. She also spoke highly of Iowa wind energy.

“Anybody who says to me well you know we can’t really transition to clean renewable energy, I ask them “have you been to Iowa lately?” she asked. “You already get a third of your electricity from wind!”

Clinton also fired back at her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, who made comments Tuesday that many say was inciting violence against her. 

Trump had told a crowd at a rally that if Clinton is elected president she’ll get to pick judges and there’s “nothing you can do folks, although the Second Amendment people – maybe there is.” Clinton said in Des Moines if you’re running for president, words can have tremendous consequences.

“And now his casual inciting of violence,” she said. “Every single one of these incidents shows us that Donald Trump simply does not have the temperament to be president and commander and chief of the United States.”

Trump’s campaign says he was calling for political unification among fans of the Second Amendment.

Clinton was introduced by former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and his wife, Ruth. Other prominent Iowa Democrats in the crowd included Attorney General Tom Miller and former Governor Chet Culver. A protester rushed the stage at one point but was tackled and escorted out by Secret Service.  

Clay Masters is the senior politics reporter for MPR News.