Former US president Donald Trump is scheduled to address thousands of members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Texas.
Trump declared himself “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House” and has pledged to continue defending the Second Amendment as the country grapples with record numbers of deaths from mass shootings.
Last year, there were 42 mass killings resulting in 217 deaths, making it one of the deadliest years on record.
Trump’s position on gun rights has been a point of contention, especially with US President Joe Biden, who criticised Trump’s comments following a school shooting in Iowa.
We are gearing up for a Texas-sized celebration of freedom, firearms, and the @NRA at the 153rd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Dallas, TX.
— NRA (@NRA) May 16, 2024
The Exhibit Hall opens Friday morning at 9:00 am and is free for all NRA members! See you there! pic.twitter.com/L3avuRn7Kq
He Initially called the incident “terrible” but later stated, “We have to get over it. We have to move forward.”
At a campaign event in Minnesota on Friday, Trump stated, “People who have guns, people who legitimately have guns, they love guns, and they use guns for the right purpose. However, they tend to vote very little. They have to vote for us because there’s nobody else to vote for. The Democrats want to take their guns away, and they will take their guns away.”
He added, “That’s why I’m going to be talking to the NRA tomorrow to say, ‘You gotta get out and vote.'”
Vice President Kamala Harris, ahead of Trump’s NRA appearance, stated, “At a time when guns are the number one cause of death for children and teens in America, Donald Trump is catering to the gun lobby and threatening to make the crisis worse if re-elected.” She emphasised that she and Biden “will continue to take on the gun lobby to keep Americans safe, while Donald Trump will continue to sacrifice our kids’ and communities’ safety to keep these special interests happy.”
During his presidency, Trump occasionally pledged to strengthen gun laws. After the high school mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people and wounded 17 others, Trump told survivors and family members that he would be “solid on background checks.” He initially claimed he would stand up to the NRA but later backpedalled, stating there was “not much political support.”
On Saturday, Trump is expected to give the keynote address at the NRA’s forum in Dallas, where Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott will also speak. Prominent gun safety groups, which have already endorsed Biden, plan to demonstrate near the convention centre where the gun lobby is meeting.
Although Trump enjoys strong support in Texas, Democrats see a potential for an upset in November with former NFL player and US representative Colin Allred leading an underdog campaign to unseat Republican Senator Ted Cruz. No Democrat has won a statewide office in Texas in 30 years, making it the longest streak of its kind in the US.
Trump campaigned in Minnesota on Friday after attending his son Barron’s high school graduation in Florida.
