Trump Defends NRA from NY State AG Who Wants to 'Destroy' Organization
President Donald Trump described the National Rifle Association as “under siege” by Democratic state officials in New York who want to “destroy” the pro-Second Amendment organization.
“The NRA is under siege by Cuomo and the New York State A.G., who are illegally using the State’s legal apparatus to take down and destroy this very important organization, & others,” Trump tweeted on Monday.
“It must get its act together quickly, stop the internal fighting, & get back to GREATNESS – FAST!”
The NRA is under siege by Cuomo and the New York State A.G., who are illegally using the State’s legal apparatus to take down and destroy this very important organization, & others. It must get its act together quickly, stop the internal fighting, & get back to GREATNESS – FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 29, 2019
The president also encouraged the NRA — which is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, but chartered in New York — to cut all ties with the Empire State.
“The NRA should leave and fight from the outside of this very difficult to deal with (unfair) State!” Trump wrote in another tweet.
….People are fleeing New York State because of high taxes and yes, even oppression of sorts. They didn’t even put up a fight against SALT – could have won. So much litigation. The NRA should leave and fight from the outside of this very difficult to deal with (unfair) State!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 29, 2019
NPR reported that New York Attorney General Letitia James launched an investigation into the NRA’s finances.
“As part of this investigation, the Attorney General has issued subpoenas. We will not have further comment at this time,” James’ office told NPR on Saturday.
The NRA has pledged to cooperate with the investigation.
“The NRA will fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances,” William A. Brewer III said, who is an outside lawyer for the organization.
“The NRA is prepared for this, and has full confidence in its accounting practices and commitment to good governance.”
The AG’s announcement came the same day NRA president Oliver North stated he will not seek a second term.
“Amid the group’s annual convention, North announced Saturday that he would step down from his role as president,” according to Fox News.
“The move followed his failed attempt to remove NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. The rift within the NRA was fueled in part by the New York investigation.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that North had sent a letter on Thursday to the executive committee of the NRA’s board of directors alleging mismanagement and financial improprieties by LaPierre, including $200,000 in purchases from an NRA clothing vendor.
LaPierre responded with his own letter to the NRA board members, claiming North is trying to extort him and pressure him to resign, while covering for the clothing vendor in question not meeting its contractual requirements.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded to Trump’s pro-NRA tweets on Monday, writing, “President Trump: 74,600 Americans have died from gun violence since you were elected. You have done nothing but tweet about it.”
“Unlike you, NY is not afraid to stand up to the NRA. As for the NRA, we’ll remember them in our thoughts and prayers,” Cuomo snidely added.
President Trump: 74,600 Americans have died from gun violence since you were elected.
You have done nothing but tweet about it.
Unlike you, NY is not afraid to stand up to the NRA. As for the NRA, we’ll remember them in our thoughts and prayers. https://t.co/zW5dUnH4IB
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 29, 2019
The Washington Post reported that the NRA sued Cuomo in May 2018 for seeking to blacklist the organization with financial institutions.
The governor issued “a directive last year urging insurance companies, state-chartered banks and other financial services companies to review their relationship with the NRA and consider whether those ties ‘harm their corporate reputations and jeopardize public safety.’”
Trump is currently the target of financial investigations by New York’s attorney general.
James, who was elected last November, made investigating Trump a central issue of her campaign.
In December, before taking office, the attorney general-elect told NBC News, “We will use every area of the law to investigate President Trump and his business transactions and that of his family as well.”
James said at the time she was enlisting help from prosecutorial heavy hitters like former Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch to “help her identify important hires for her office with an eye on bringing in experts for its Trump-related investigations.”
The president tweeted about James in December, writing, she has a “GET TRUMP agenda” and “does little else but rant, rave & politic against me.”
“Will never be treated fairly by these people — a total double standard of ‘justice,’” he concluded.
CORRECTION, May 4, 2019: This article originally stated that the NRA headquarters are located in Arlington, Virginia. They are actually in Fairfax.
We apologize for the error and for any confusion we may have caused.
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