With less than two weeks to go until the Iowa caucus, Donald Trump remains characteristically confident about his chances. In fact, the Republican front-runner is so confident, he says his supporters would stay loyal even if he happened to commit a capital offense.
"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" Trump remarked at a campaign stop at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. "It's, like, incredible."
The businessman, whose Trump Tower stands on the major Manhattan thoroughfare, cracked the joke Saturday to a receptive audience at the Christian college.
Reached by CNN immediately after the event, Trump declined to clarify the statement. On Twitter, he remarked on the rally, saying, "Just left Sioux Center, Iowa. My speech was very well received. Truly great people! Packed house — overflow!"
Just left Sioux Center, Iowa. My speech was very well received. Truly great people! Packed house- overflow!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2016
NPR's Don Gonyea reports that so far, the reaction to Trump's remarks has followed a familiar pattern.
"His audiences love it. His opponents try to use it against him — but so far, to no avail," Gonyea reports. "I talked to some of his supporters and they say, 'Yeah, sometimes he makes me cringe, but I still like him and I still think he's the right thing for America.' "
One supporter, who spoke to ABC News, said he found Trump's point clear — but mentioned Trump could have articulated it differently.
"He probably could've worded it a little bit better," campaign volunteer Brandon Fokkema said.
It was the first of two planned events in Iowa on Saturday for the presidential hopeful. The state's first-in-the-nation caucuses pick their preferred nominees from both parties on Feb. 1.
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