The NRA gun lobby is one of the most powerful lobby groups in the USA. Former President Trump is using a day off from proceedings to canvass for votes from an important group of voters in Texas.
Former US President and current presidential candidate Donald Trump used the annual conference of the powerful gun lobby NRA for a campaign appearance and canvassed gun owners for votes. Trump promised in front of a cheering audience on Saturday (local time) in Dallas, Texas, that he would stand up for their rights and freedoms, turn the country around and make America great again.
With him in the White House, Trump said, those who tried to take away Americans’ guns would run into a massive wall. “Their dreams of taking away your God-given rights will die when the polls close on November 5th.”
The NRA is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States. The number of members is in the millions. Lobbyists have enormous influence on politics. The NRA pumps large sums of money into election campaigns and grades members of parliament based on their stance on gun issues – as a kind of handout to its members about who they should vote for and who they shouldn’t. Trump said to cheers from those in attendance that it was a “true honor to be here today to receive the support of the proud American patriots of the NRA.”
Trump also used his appearance to launch sharp verbal attacks against his democratic opponent, US President Joe Biden – and was cheered for this by the people in the hall. He said he was looking forward to the debates with Biden and, given Biden’s age (81), called for a drug test before the duel. Biden was in the state of Georgia on Saturday to seek support, particularly among black voters.
The 77-year-old Trump wants to move back into the White House for the Republicans after the presidential election. He currently has to answer in a court in New York in connection with hush money payments to a porn actress and has been regularly spending many hours in the courtroom for days. If he wasn’t in the race, none of this would exist, Trump said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at the meeting that Trump’s re-election depends on the NRA’s efforts. If its members organized and participated in the election, no organization in America could prevail against it. “With your help, we will re-elect Donald Trump as president, a freedom fighter who will put America first.”
The right to bear arms is enshrined in the US Constitution. Nobody dares to touch this Second Amendment from the 18th century. It was made for a time when the USA consisted largely of undeveloped wilderness and its citizens lived far away from urban areas. There were no submachine guns or assault rifles back then. But the right for every citizen to have a weapon remains. It is sacred to many Americans.
Efforts to tighten gun laws have been unsuccessful for years – primarily because Republicans are against it. And because the gun lobby, especially the NRA, vehemently opposes any attempt to regulate gun ownership more strictly.