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According to a gun group official, Donald J. Trump has lost confidence in the N.R.A. The official, who is a vice president of the organization, mentioned in a recent letter that the N.R.A. must work on regaining trust with Trump and his close advisors.
Written by Danny Hakim
According to a high-ranking official at the National Rifle Association, President-elect Donald J. Trump no longer has confidence in the organization. The official stated in a recent letter to board members that the N.R.A. must regroup in order to support the Republican Party’s advantage in Congress for the 2026 midterm elections.
During a recent board meeting, Bill Bachenberg, the group’s first vice president and a strong supporter of Trump, mentioned that Trump was disappointed that the NRA had not pledged to do more to support his election campaign this year. Bachenberg also reported that during a conversation at the group’s annual conference in May, Trump was surprised to learn that the NRA was paying millions of dollars annually to lawyer William A. Brewer III, who has historically donated more to Democratic candidates.
Mr. Bachenberg explained in a recent letter that he is certain President Trump and his closest advisors no longer trust the N.R.A. This sentiment was echoed by Mark Vaughan, the N.R.A. board’s second vice president. Mr. Bachenberg mentioned that he frequently communicates with them and emphasized the need to regain their trust, as well as that of the N.R.A.’s members and donors.
When reached for a response, Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition, provided a general statement. She stated that President Trump supports the belief that all Americans have the inherent right to defend themselves and their loved ones. He is committed to protecting gun owners who follow the law.
The recent letter shows that the N.R.A. is no longer as powerful in politics as it once was. After facing scandals and accusations of corruption for years, the organization is now struggling. There are two factions within the group – one that supports the former CEO Wayne LaPierre and another that wants to distance itself from his controversial past.
Doug Hamlin, the newly appointed CEO of the NRA, mentioned in a statement that due to the organization’s significant expenses defending against a civil lawsuit filed by Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, they needed to be more focused in their approach for the 2024 election.
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