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The president paused and instead of condemning the remark he said: “That’s only in the panhandle, can you get away with that statement.\"

The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter — after another brief pause, Trump repeated: “Only in the panhandle.”

\"PHOTO:
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: Rally attendees wait for the arrival of President Donald Trump during a Make America Great Again rally at Aaron Bessant Amphitheater in Panama City Beach, Fla., May 8, 2019.
>

Trump asks Florida rally crowd: \"How do you stop these people\" from crossing the border?

\"Shoot them!\" a rally attendee shouts out.

Trump: \"That's only in the panhandle you can get away with that stuff. Only in the panhandle.\"

— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) May 9, 2019

In the aftermath of the president’s response to the rally attendee’s inflammatory outburst, the Trump campaign has worked to turn the conversation on Twitter and shift the focus to the president’s statement denouncing the use of weapons by border agents.

The campaign's Deputy Director of Communication and Rapid Response Matt Wolking replied to a number of Twitter users discussing the incident, sending a transcript that excludes part of the president’s reaction to the outburst. He tweeted that Trump said he \"would never let\" border security use weapons like \"other countries do.\"

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