NRA Has Big Plans for New Presidency
Hopes to loosen gun restrictions in states like New York and California
The National Rifle Association plans to use President-elect Donald Trump’s term in office to pass a federal law that would make gun-carrying permits issued in one state valid across the country.
“This is our historic moment to go on offense,” NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said in a post-election video.
The NRA spent $30 million in ad buys in support of Trump’s campaign, The Guardian reported. Trump has pledged to nominate a Supreme Court justice who supports gun rights.
The group also aims to end “the absolute fallacy of gun-free zones,” LaPierre said in the address.
“Part of the problem for the NRA is that they’ve been so successful already that there’s not a lot for them to accomplish,” Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor and gun politics expert, told the newspaper.
If Congress were to pass the national reciprocity legislation, making it easy to carry a concealed firearm across the country, Winkler said the NRA would “organize gun owners to descend en masse in places like New York City.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot more very bold, aggressive, in-your-face political actions by gun rights activists,” he said.