Transition of power from
Trump Transition
Transition period for
Prom
Backed by
According to a gun group official, Donald J. Trump no longer trusts the N.R.A. The official, who is a vice president of the organization, stated in a recent letter that the N.R.A. must work on regaining the trust of Trump and his close advisors.
Authored by Danny Hakim
An official within the National Rifle Association has stated that President-elect Donald J. Trump no longer has confidence in the organization. The official urged fellow board members in a recent letter to regroup and strengthen the NRA in order to support the Republican Party’s advantage in Congress for the 2026 midterm elections.
Bill Bachenberg, the group’s first vice president and a strong supporter of Trump, informed other board members that Trump was disappointed that the NRA did not show more support for him during the election. Bachenberg also mentioned that Trump was surprised to learn that the NRA was paying a lawyer, William A. Brewer III, who had donated to Democratic politicians in the past, millions of dollars annually.
Mr. Bachenberg stated in a letter co-signed by Mark Vaughan, the second vice president of the N.R.A., that President Trump and his closest advisors no longer trust the organization. He mentioned that they are in regular communication with the president and his team, and emphasized the need to regain their trust, as well as that of the N.R.A.’s members and donors.
When asked for a comment, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, gave a general response. She stated that President Trump supports the belief that all Americans have a natural right to protect themselves and their loved ones, and he will support those who follow the law when it comes to gun ownership.
The recent letter shows that the N.R.A. is no longer as powerful in politics as it once was. After facing numerous scandals and accusations of corruption, the group is now divided between those loyal to former CEO Wayne LaPierre and those, like Mr. Bachenberg, who want to distance themselves from LaPierre’s controversial actions.
The new chief executive of the N.R.A., Doug Hamlin, mentioned in a statement that due to the organization’s significant spending to protect itself in a legal case brought by New York’s attorney general Letitia James, they need to focus their efforts on specific areas in the 2024 election.
We are experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To use this website properly, make sure to turn on JavaScript
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently using Reader mode, please log out and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Are you currently a member? Sign in to access the content
Interested in accessing all content from The Times? Sign up for a
Prom
Index of Pages
Navigation for Site Information