Former US President Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans used the annual meeting of the firearms lobby organization National Rifle Association (NRA) for campaign appearances.
Trump, who wants to move back into the White House in 2024, railed in his usual manner against the government of his Democratic successor, Joe Biden, in his speech on Friday evening (local time). The 76-year-old described his political opponents as communists who wanted to destroy the United States and himself by any means necessary. As an example, he cited the various legal disputes in which he had been involved.
Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, also performed at the event in his home state of Indiana. While Trump was cheered by the crowd, some onlookers greeted Pence with boos. The former deputy is also said to have ambitions for the presidency, but so far he has not announced an application for a candidacy.
Video messages from other prominent Republicans, including former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, were played at the conference.
Trump denies gun lobby blame for violent crimes
At the event, Trump and Pence also commented on the recent shooting sprees in the US cities of Nashville and Louisville, which have killed more than a dozen people, including the perpetrators.
The speakers repeated the well-known argument of the gun lobby, not because of the large number of firearms in the USA but because of the state of mind of the shooters. The solution is not stricter gun laws, as Biden has long been demanding, but more guns in schools so that teachers and security personnel can better defend themselves.
Deadly violence with firearms, which are readily available there, is commonplace in the United States. The health authority CDC lists 45,222 gun deaths nationwide in a 2020 statistic. More than half of these were suicides.
The NRA is the most powerful gun lobbying organization in the United States. Republican politicians in particular regularly seek the support of the NRA, which also provides a rating for incumbents and candidates based on the gun-friendliness of their public statements and voting behavior. (dpa)
