Donald Trump talks gun rights but not his criminal charges at NRA convention

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In Donald Trump’s first major public appearance since his historic arrest, the former president touted his pro-gun policies but refrained from discussing his indictment when he spoke at a National Rifle Association (NRA) convention on Friday in Indianapolis.

Trump led the annual NRA-ILA Leadership Forum at the Indiana Convention Center, where he and other Republican presidential hopefuls addressed gun owners who are a key conservative constituent.

For Trump, his appearance also served as a test to see if he still has the public support of GOP voters, despite his ongoing legal woes.

I will be your loyal friend and fearless leader as the 47th president of the United States, Trump told an enthusiastic audience. There will be a very successful election and that beautiful White House will be taken back.

The NRA held its convention within two weeks of the nation’s latest shootings, one at a school in Nashville and another at a bank in Louisville. Political pressure on Republicans to support at least some form of gun control has increased since the killings.

Democrats admonished Republicans for showing up at the event, arguing that GOP hopefuls showed up to pledge their undying loyalty to the NRA and the gun lobby.

Republicans will make it 100% clear to the public that given the choice between our families and the gun industry the national Republicans will choose the gun industry again, he continued, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-CT, during a Democratic National Committee news conference Thursday.

The Republican Party continues to put the gun industry and gun makers ahead of the safety of our children and our families. Strange, heartbreaking, and annoying, he continued.

Trump evaded his arrest

Trump addressed an NRA audience of thousands just 10 days after pleading not guilty in New York City to charges of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments and financial violations by campaign. That is why he is the first president of the US to have been or is currently charged with a crime.

Although Trump gave a speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida hours after his arraignment in New York, the appearance at the NRA-ILA conference on Friday was his first public appearance.

I promised to save the Second Amendment, and I will save it for a long time to come forever, as far as I’m concerned, he said moments after taking the stage, following a minute’s standing ovation from the crowd.

Trump continues to support gun policies supported by the NRA. He credited the group with giving him significant political help in his first presidential campaign in 2016.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to guests at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on April 14, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

But former Vice President Mike Pence was met with a mix of boos and hesitant applause when he took the stage hours earlier.

The former governor of Indiana finds himself in an interesting position as he expects to testify before a grand jury soon about his dealings with Trump in connection with the 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

While he previously said Trump was wrong to ask for electoral votes in favor of Biden to be thrown out, Pence has otherwise defended Trump amid much, ongoing scrutiny of the former president.

Pence did not comment on the insurrection on Friday, but instead focused his remarks on his commitment to Second Amendment rights, securing the US border and fighting leftist dogma.

It’s time for us to stand up for a free America, Pence said. We will kick these liberals out of our gun shops and into your lives.

He also commented on recent mass shootings, which he largely attributes to trans activists and individuals with mental health challenges. He stressed that those involved in such shootings should face the death penalty within months of the crime.

The answer to mass shootings is not fewer guns, but more institutionalized mental health in this country, he said. These people should not be in jail because they should never have been allowed out on the streets to commit the crimes they committed.

More GOP speakers rally for gun rights

Other presidential aspirants looking to boost their political profiles have also taken on gun owners.

Prospective rivals like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott who all spoke via video to the NRA doubled down on their right-to-firearms stances.

Some now see the Second Amendment as an outdated bill, reminiscent of the past, said DeSantis, who has yet to formally declare his candidacy in 2024. It’s no coincidence that throughout history, one of the first what authoritarian regimes seek to do is disarm their own citizens.

Businessman and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said that self-defense by using guns is not a crime in this country, and suggested that lawmakers should ban social media for children before attempting to take away guns. He even promised to close the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) if elected president.

Former Arkansas Gov. delivers a speech. Asa Hutchinson to about 4,000 NRA members Friday in Indianapolis. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, previously called on Trump to suspend his campaign because of the accusation. He said Friday that he will continue to stand up for the NRA and the Second Amendment but did not speak about Trump.

Also considering New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan is the other three NRA speakers with presidential bids.

Why do Joe Biden’s liberals want our guns? Because it will be easier for them to violate our other rights, Noem said Friday in Indianapolis. Because each of you and the NRA, because we have successfully prevented federal legislation that would infringe on our basic, constitutional right to bear arms, we are keeping our rights intact.

This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, which is part of the States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly with questions: [email protected]. Follow the Indiana Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter.

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