Trump Receives NRA Endorsement As He Vows To Protect Gun Rights | EUROtoday

DALLAS (AP) — Former President Donald Trump urged gun house owners to vote within the 2024 election as he addressed hundreds of members of the National Rifle Association, which formally endorsed him simply earlier than Trump took the stage at their annual assembly in Texas on Saturday.

“We’ve got to get gun owners to vote,” Trump mentioned. “I think you’re a rebellious bunch. But let’s be rebellious and vote this time.”

Trump, in his speech, mentioned the Second Amendment “is very much on the ballot” in November, alleging that, if Democratic President Joe Biden “gets four more years they are coming for your guns, 100% certain. Crooked Joe has a 40-year-record of trying to rip firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.”

The Biden administration has taken quite a few steps to attempt to fight gun violence, together with a brand new rule that goals to shut a loophole that has allowed tens of hundreds of weapons to be offered yearly by unlicensed sellers who don’t carry out background checks.

Trump has pledged to proceed to defend the Second Amendment, which he claims is “under siege,” and has referred to as himself “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House” because the United States faces file numbers of deaths as a consequence of mass shootings. Last 12 months ended with 42 mass killings and 217 deaths, making it one of many deadliest years on file.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has been criticized by Biden, particularly for remarks that Trump made this 12 months after a faculty taking pictures in Iowa. Trump referred to as the incident “very terrible” solely to later say that “we have to get over it. We have to move forward.”

Trump, throughout his speech, additionally laced into impartial presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling him “radical left” and “a disaster,” and noting that Kennedy had as soon as referred to as the NRA a ”terror group.”

“Don’t think about it. Don’t waste your vote,” he mentioned. “He calls you a terrorist group, and I call you the backbone of America.” (Kennedy later mentioned in a Fox News interview that he didn’t keep in mind his 2018 tweet. “I don’t consider them a terror group, and I support the Second Amendment,” he mentioned.)

Trump famous he can be talking subsequent week on the Libertarian Party’s conference and mentioned he’ll urge its members to vote for him.

“We have to join with them,” he mentioned. “We have to get that 3% because we can’t take a chance on Joe Biden winning.”

Earlier Saturday, Trump’s marketing campaign and the Republican National Committee introduced the creation of a brand new “Gun Owners for Trump” coalition that features gun rights activists and people who work within the firearms business.

Biden has made curbing gun violence a serious a part of his administration and reelection marketing campaign, creating the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden additionally has urged Congress to ban so-called assault weapons — one thing Democrats shied from even just some years in the past.

“Tonight, Donald Trump confirmed that he will do exactly what the NRA tells him to do — even if it means more death, more shootings, and more suffering,” mentioned Biden spokesman Ammar Moussa.

When Trump was president, there have been moments when he pledged to strengthen gun legal guidelines. After a highschool mass taking pictures in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 folks and wounded 17 others, Trump advised survivors and members of the family that he could be “very strong on background checks.” He claimed he would stand as much as the NRA however later he backpedaled, saying there was “not much political support.”

On Saturday, Trump additionally introduced up the felony instances towards him as his hush cash trial heads into the ultimate stretch subsequent week and accused Democrats of being behind these instances as a result of he’s Biden’s opponent.

“Never forget our enemies want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom,” he mentioned.

Trump criticized Biden’s border insurance policies, repeating his pledge that he’ll order the most important home deportation operation. He spoke about abortion and warned Republicans to not be so excessive on abortion to stay electable.

“In my opinion, Republicans have not been talking about it intelligently. They haven’t been talking about it with knowledge,” he mentioned. “Remember, speak from your heart. But you also have to get elected again.”

Associated Press author Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.