Trump pledges to defend the right to bear arms in America
PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has told the National Rifle Association convention that his administration was fighting to protect their constitutional right to bear arms.
Trump told the convention yesterday in Dallas that they had an administration in Washington that was “fighting to protect your Second Amendment, and we will protect your Second Amendment”.
The president told tens of thousands of attendees that their right to bear arms was “under siege”. But he pledged that those rights “will never, ever be under siege as long as I’m your president”.
Trump did not elaborate on how the Second Amendment was under siege. The president was addressing the NRA gathering nearly three months after a deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
The president temporarily strayed from the group’s strong opposition to tougher gun controls after the school shooting only to rapidly return to the fold.
He was speaking at the event for the fourth year in a row. Last year, he became the first sitting president to appear in more than 30 years, declaring that the “assault” on the Second Amendment had ended. But this year’s speech in Dallas came as the issue of gun violence takes on new urgency after one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.
Survivors of the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead are leading a massive national gun control movement.
Several groups have announced plans to protest over the weekend during the NRA event. The protesters will include parents of those killed in Parkland and other shootings.
The survivors’ campaign has not led to major changes from the White House or the Republicanled Congress but Mr Trump did briefly declare he would stand up to the powerful gun lobby.
He later backpedalled, expressing support for modest changes to the background check system, as well as arming teachers.