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A vice president of the National Rifle Association (N.R.A.) stated in a letter that President Donald J. Trump has lost confidence in the organization. The N.R.A. is facing difficulties and needs to regain trust with Trump and his close advisors.
Written by Danny Hakim
The National Rifle Association’s top official stated in a letter to fellow board members that President-elect Donald J. Trump no longer has confidence in the organization. The official emphasized the need for the N.R.A. to regroup in order to support the Republican Party’s advantage in Congress for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
During a recent meeting, Bill Bachenberg, the first vice president of the group and a strong supporter of Trump, mentioned that Trump was disappointed that the N.R.A. did not do more to support him during the election. At the group’s annual conference in May, Trump was surprised to learn that the N.R.A. was paying millions of dollars each year to a lawyer, William A. Brewer III, who has historically supported Democratic candidates through his political donations.
In a recent letter co-signed by Mark Vaughan, the N.R.A. board’s second vice president, Mr. Bachenberg stated that President Trump and his closest advisors no longer have confidence in the N.R.A. He mentioned that he frequently communicates with them and emphasized the need to regain their trust, as well as the trust of the organization’s members and donors.
When asked for a comment, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, provided a general response. She stated that President Trump supports the idea that all Americans have a natural right to protect themselves and their loved ones. He is committed to defending gun owners who abide by the law.
The letter shows that the N.R.A. is not as politically powerful as it once was. It used to have a lot of influence in lobbying in Washington, but it has been struggling due to scandals and accusations of corruption. The organization is now split between those who support its former CEO Wayne LaPierre and another group, led by Mr. Bachenberg, who want to distance themselves from LaPierre’s controversial reputation.
Doug Hamlin, the newly appointed CEO of the N.R.A., mentioned in a statement that due to the organization’s significant spending in defending itself against a lawsuit filed by Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, they needed to focus their resources strategically in the upcoming 2024 election.
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