Former President Trump is scheduled to address gun rights activists in key battleground states at a National Rifle Association (NRA) event in Georgia later this month.
President Trump is scheduled to speak at the NRA's “Defend the 2nd” event in Savannah on October 22nd. The remarks come as Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee, has spoken more openly about being a gun owner as she calls for loosening gun laws. Concerns about how she will try to curb gun violence.
“This is a critical election for gun owners in America,” NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Doug Hamlin said in a statement. “They have big plans to erode Title II protections.”
“Donald J. Trump has proven himself to be a warrior for the right of the American people to keep and bear arms,” Hamlin added. “We are thrilled to have him speak at our 'Defend the 2nd' event and support his return to the White House in January.”
The former president has spoken at NRA events every year, pledging to protect gun rights and warning of the risks to gun owners if a Democrat is elected.
In his speech at the 2023 NRA annual meeting, President Trump said he would work to prevent school shootings by putting more guns in buildings and encouraging teachers to take firearms training. He also said he would ask Congress to pass legislation creating “national concealed carry reciprocity.”
Despite multiple mass shootings during his first term, Trump did not oversee the passage of any major gun regulations.
In 2018, President Trump accused Republicans of being afraid of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after the Parkland High School shooting in Florida and signaled he would take action on the issue. However, the White House's final proposal that year did not include expanded background checks or raising the age for gun purchases, and the NRA opposed the changes.
In 2019, in the wake of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, then-President Trump again signaled his support for stricter gun laws, but no major legislation passed in Congress.
Harris has spoken repeatedly about the need to address gun violence and joined President Biden at the White House. For announcements About efforts to reduce gun deaths and tighten restrictions on the sale of certain guns. As a candidate, Harris called on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban.
At the same time, she has sought to soften her image of guns ahead of Election Day. She has spoken many times about being a gun owner and joked in an appearance with Oprah Winfrey that anyone who invaded her home would “get shot.”
Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), has also spoken publicly about his transition from lawmaker with an “A” rating from the NRA to governor who signed important gun control legislation.
“Tim Walz and I are both gun owners. We're not going to take anyone's guns away. So stop lying about this,” Harris told Trump on Sept. 10. He said this at a discussion session.
