Just a couple of years ago the NRA was on the skids, overwhelmed with scandal and financial malfeasance. Apparently its members are fine with all that. Wayne LaPierre, who stole vast sums from the organization is still at the helm and he spoke to rapturous applause — as did a bunch of others.
Some highlights from Aaron Rupar. (You can subscribe to his substack here.)
Wayne LaPierre says at the NRA event that "gun hating politicians should never go to bed unafraid of what this association and all of our millions of members can do to their political careers" 😳
holy shit Pence is getting booed loudly at the NRA event
"We don't need gun control" — Pence at the NRA forum blames recent mass shooting on trans people and mental illness and tries to absolve guns
Pence calls for armed guards in every school in America
Pence calls for mass shooters to be put to death within months
the NRA forum is not especially pumped about Asa Hutchinson's veiled shots at Trump
DeSantis is doing a video message to the NRA forum instead of being there in person. Low energy.
lol not a single person claps when Nikki Haley's video message is announced
Tim Scott also has a video message that nobody is excited for
very normal stuff here
lol Kristi Noem is signing an executive order at the NRA forum
Chris Sununu's jabs at Trump (who he does not name) at the NRA forum are being met with complete silence
poor Jim can barely see over the lectern
Vivek Ramaswamy says he stands with Greg Abbott and supports a pardon for Daniel Perry
ok?
"We will shut down the FBI"
"You want China not to invade Taiwan? Here's something we can do. The NRA can open its branch next time in Taiwan" — Vivek
lol
conservative intros are so cringe lmao
Trump decries "the transgender cult" at the NRA forum
when your teleprompter text differs from what you really want to say
drink!
what could possibly go wrong?
"I don't know. They wanted me to put that in. I guess some people are happy with it. I don't know." — Trump, oozing sincere conviction
Trump calls for national concealed carry reciprocity
Trump: "Let's be very clear. The issue is not too many guns. The issue is too many thugs."
Trump is now displaying tweets showing him leading other Republican presidential contenders in the polls
Trump calls lifelong Republican Bill Barr a "RINO"
"I think we have to take it over. We have to take over management of our capital" — Trump on Washington DC
unvarnished fascism
Trump on school shootings at the NRA forum: "This is not a gun problem … this is a spiritual problem … I will also create a new tax credit to reimburse any teacher for the full cost of a concealed carry firearm and training … we want to arm some of these teachers."
Trump proposes a panel to investigate whether being trans and using cannabis cause mass shootings
Trump: "We have a Marxist revolution going on, and I think you're starting to see it"
Originally tweeted by Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) on April 14, 2023.
They love him, they really love him.