Donald Trump 2024 campaign backtracks on claim he bought a gun as it could have broken law

Donald Trump poses with the "Trump edition" Glock pistol during a trip to South Carolina. His campaign staff initially said he bought it, but then backtracked, saying only that he wanted to. Photo / X

The Trump campaign has backtracked on a claim that the former president bought a handgun embellished with his face and name during a stop in South Carolina, as such a move could have been illegal.

Staff working for Donald Trump initially said he bought the 9mm Glock pistol, said to be priced at US$829 (NZ$13800), at a gun store in Columbia, South Carolina, and posted a photograph of him with the gun.

The pistol was a special “Trump edition” that featured his image on the handle and the words “Trump 45th″ on the chamber.

“I’m going to buy one. I want to buy one,” Trump said after looking at the gun. “Isn’t Glock a great gun?”

But a few hours later, his campaign backtracked amid speculation that the 77-year-old could have broken the law by his actions.

Trump is currently indicted on two federal charges, as well as two local sets of allegations. They amount to 91 counts, all of which he has denied.

Commentators pointed out it was a federal crime to receive a firearm while under felony indictment or to sell a firearm to someone under felony indictment.

The "Trump edition" of a 9mm Glock pistol.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung initially wrote on social media that Trump had bought the weapon. He later deleted the post and told CNN that Trump himself had not bought it.

He then said the former president had “wanted” to buy the weapon.

Trump’s visit to the store came before a speech in which he denounced the Biden administration and poked fun at his Republican rivals, describing Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who served as his UN ambassador, as a “birdbrain”.

Trump is so far ahead of his likely primary rivals that he has decided not to take part in the second Republican debate to be held on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

In his speech, he repeated his claim that he would be able to bring an end to the war in Ukraine and defended having a close relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

“I had a great relationship with him,” he said. “It’s good to have a good relationship.”