Donald Trump Urges Gun Owners to Vote for 2024 Election

Dallas, Texas, May 19, 2024 — Former U.S. President Donald Trump rallied thousands of National Rifle Association (NRA) members at their annual meeting in Texas on Saturday, urging them to vote in the upcoming 2024 election. Just before Trump took the stage, the NRA officially endorsed him, solidifying his stance as a staunch defender of gun rights.

Trump emphasized the importance of the Second Amendment, claiming it is “very much on the ballot” in the November election. He warned that a second term for Democratic President Joe Biden would result in the confiscation of firearms from law-abiding citizens. “Crooked Joe has a 40-year record of trying to rip firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens,” Trump stated.

The Biden administration has implemented measures to combat gun violence, including a rule aimed at closing loopholes that have allowed unlicensed dealers to sell guns without background checks. Despite these efforts, Trump pledged to protect gun owners’ rights, declaring himself “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House.”

Trump faced criticism from Biden and other Democrats, particularly for his response to a recent school shooting in Iowa, where he initially called the incident “very terrible” but later remarked, “we have to get over it.” Biden’s administration, focusing on reducing gun violence, established the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris criticized Trump’s alignment with the NRA, stating, “At a time when guns are the number one cause of death for children and teens in America, Donald Trump is catering to the gun lobby and threatening to make the crisis worse if reelected.”

Trump underscored the necessity for gun owners to vote, suggesting that their participation is crucial to counter Democratic policies. “People that have guns…tend to vote very little and yet they have to vote for us. There’s nobody else to vote for because the Democrats want to take their guns away,” he said during a campaign stop in Minnesota.

Additionally, Trump criticized independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., labeling him as “radical left” and a “disaster” for his past comments about the NRA. Trump urged NRA members not to waste their vote on Kennedy, who had once called the NRA a “terror group.”

Earlier on Saturday, Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee announced the creation of a new “Gun Owners for Trump” coalition. This group includes gun rights activists and industry professionals, aiming to consolidate support among firearm enthusiasts.

During his presidency, Trump had moments where he considered strengthening gun laws, such as after the Parkland, Florida high school shooting in 2018. However, he later backtracked on these promises, citing a lack of political support.

Prominent gun safety groups supporting Biden plan to demonstrate near the convention center in Dallas, highlighting the ongoing debate over gun control measures in the U.S.

Trump’s address to the NRA and his upcoming speech at the Libertarian Party’s convention underscore his strategy to galvanize gun owners and libertarians to secure victory in the 2024 election.