Paul Ryan: Donald Trump's Comments About Gun Owners Stopping Hillary Clinton 'Sound Like a Joke Gone Bad'

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he hopes Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump "clears up" his comments he made on Tuesday in which he appeared to joke about gun owners taking matters into their own hands to stop Hillary Clinton, giving the New York businessman the benefit of the doubt.

Ryan, who was fresh off his landslide win in his GOP primary, said late Tuesday night, "I've been a little busy." He added: "I heard about his Second Amendment quote. It sounds like a joke gone bad. You should never joke about that. I hope he clears it up quickly."

Ryan, who fell short of criticizing Trump, noted that he had only heard about the comments but had not yet reviewed the footage of the Trump event.

Trump sparked the latest uproar of his campaign on Tuesday afternoon when he went off script during a rally in North Carolina, saying Clinton would be able to appoint liberal justices to the Supreme Court if she wins the White House.

"Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment," he said. "By the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know. But I'll tell you what, that will be a horrible day."

Trump's words quickly drew criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, with the Clinton campaign calling the remarks dangerous.

"A person seeking to be the President of the United States should not suggest violence in any way," Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement.

The Trump campaign sought to tap down the backlash, issuing a statement that blames the media for a misinterpretation of Trump's words.

"It's called the power of unification — 2nd Amendment people have amazing spirit and are tremendously unified, which gives them great political power," top Trump adviser, Jason Miller, said in the statement.

[Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons]