Trump's Incredible Decision with NRA Is Sure To Draw Ire from the Anti-Gun Left
You can cue the rage now: For the third time since he’s taken up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump will be giving the keynote address at the NRA Institute for Legislative Action Leadership Forum, the group’s annual meeting.
According to The Daily Caller, the president is expected to give the speech at the Indiana Convention Center at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 26.
“Donald Trump is the most enthusiastic supporter of the Second Amendment to occupy the Oval Office in our lifetimes. It is truly an honor to have President Trump address NRA members for the fifth consecutive year,” Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA-ILA, said in a statement.
“President Trump’s Supreme Court appointments ensure that the Second Amendment will be respected for generations to come. Our members are excited to hear him speak and thank him for his support for our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.”
Trump is the first serving U.S. president to address the group since then-President Ronald Reagan did it in 1983. Now getting ready for his third NRA speech as the chief executive — he doesn’t show any signs of flagging.
Trump’s 2018 address to the group in Dallas was described by USA Today as a “campaign rally-like speech” that focused on gun rights.
“Your Second Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never, ever be under siege as long as I’m your president,” Trump said.
“We recognize a simple fact,” he added. “The one thing that has always stood between the American people’s Second Amendment right and those who want to take away those rights has been conservatives in Congress willing to fight for those rights.
“And we’re fighting. The Constitution cannot be changed by bureaucrats, judges or the United Nations. That’s why we are appointing judges who will interpret the Constitution as it’s written.”
He also got a warm reception out of the Dallas crowd from invoking one of the favorite phrases of gun-loving Texans.
Trump referenced the 1835 Battle of Gonzales, generally considered the first skirmish of the Texas Revolution, in which Mexican troops demanded a small town give up its cannon — the only thing they had, as Trump noted, “to protect their lives and protect their homes.”
“They were not about to give up their only means of self-defense,” Trump said. “In response, (Mexican President) Santa Anna’s army returned with a large group of additional people.
“They had men all over the place, this army was big. This time they were met by dozens of Texans, soldiers, settlers and ordinary citizens, who had rushed to Gonzalez to defend their rights and their freedom as Santa Anna’s men watched from a distance, those brave Texans raised the flag for all to see.
“On the banner, they painted a cannon along with four words that echo through the ages,” Trump concluded: “Come and take it.”
Trump’s 2017 speech, meanwhile, thanked the group for its endorsement and support during the 2016 election cycle.
“But you came through for me, and I am going to come through for you,” Trump said.
“I was proud to receive the NRA’s earliest endorsement in the history of the organization. And today, I am also proud to be the first sitting president to address the NRA Leadership Forum since our wonderful Ronald Reagan in 1983. And I want to thank each and every one of you, not only for your help electing true friends of the Second Amendment but for everything you do to defend our flag and our freedom.”
Trump has proven to be a staunch Second Amendment supporter and that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.
I would reckon, given the history of his speeches before the NRA convention, that 2019 is going to be another barn-burner.
Stay tuned for the Twitter meltdowns.
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