NRA members lined up to see Donald Trump at the annual convention in Louisville. (Dave Workman photo)
By Dave Workman
Senior Editor
The National Rifle Association endorsed presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump after warning members at the 2016 Leadership Forum that Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton would use the White House as “ground zero for a massive attack on our freedom.”
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre told a huge crowd of activists in Louisville that Clinton appointees to the Supreme Court would issue rulings that say the Second Amendment protects a government right to arms, not an individual citizen’s rights.
This was after Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, said that a growing number of Americans “believe that this election is do or die for this country.”
Cox underscored the importance of unity to prevent Clinton from becoming the next president. He counseled gun owners, “If your preferred candidate has dropped out of the race, it’s time to get over it.”
To stress how important it is to keep Clinton out of the White House, Cox played an audio remark Clinton made last fall in which she can be heard clearly stating that, “The Supreme Court is wrong on the Second Amendment.”
Cox warned that “the Second Amendment is on the line” with the outcome of the November election.
When Trump took the podium, he seemed genuinely humbled by NRA’s endorsement and promised the thousands of people in the room, “I will not let you down. Remember that. I will not let you down.”
Noting that his sons are devoted hunters and shooters, and members of the NRA, Trump said he has also been a member for several years and that he is one of millions of citizens with a license to carry a concealed handgun.
[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“If your preferred candidate has dropped out of the race, it’s time to get over it.”—Chris Cox[/pullquote]
Trump immediately launched an attack on Clinton, asserting that she “is the most anti-gun candidate ever to run for office.”
NRA members are mindful of the fact that Clinton has literally declared war on the NRA. Her criticism of the organization has become a cornerstone of her campaign, and her audio remarks support Trump’s claim that “she wants to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision” in the 2008 Heller case.
“Hillary wants to disarm vulnerable Americans in high crime areas,” he contended.
Trump said that if citizens had been armed in Paris and San Bernardino, things would have turned out differently. He even suggested that the terror attacks might not have happened at all, if terrorists knew people were armed.
If elected, Trump promised to take care of veterans and rebuild the military.
He also said that he has a list of likely nominees to the Supreme Court, and he challenged Clinton to release a potential list of people she would nominate. Trump said that by doing, it would contrast with his list “like night and day.”
Trump also promised to put criminals behind bars and guarantee that law-abiding Americans have the right to keep and bear arms.
