Transition of power during
Transition of power
Transition of power
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A vice president of the NRA wrote a letter stating that Donald J. Trump has lost confidence in the organization. The letter emphasizes the need for the NRA to regain trust with Trump and his close advisors.
Written by Danny Hakim
The President-elect, Donald J. Trump, no longer has confidence in the National Rifle Association, as stated by a high-ranking official within the organization. The official emphasized 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 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. had not done more to support his campaign during this year’s election. Bachenberg also reported that Trump was surprised to hear that the N.R.A. was paying a lawyer, William A. Brewer III, millions of dollars annually, despite Brewer’s history of donating to Democratic candidates. This conversation took place at the group’s annual conference in May.
According to Mr. Bachenberg, President Trump and his closest advisors no longer trust the N.R.A. Mr. Bachenberg mentioned in a letter co-signed by Mark Vaughan, the N.R.A. board’s second vice president, that they need to work on rebuilding trust with the President and his team, as well as with the organization’s members and donors.
When asked for a response, Karoline Leavitt, who is a spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition team, gave a general statement. She mentioned that President Trump believes that all Americans have a natural right to defend themselves and their loved ones, and he will support those who follow the law and own guns.
The recent letter indicates that the N.R.A. has lost some of its political power. It used to be a powerful lobbying group in Washington, but it has been struggling due to scandals and accusations of corruption. The organization is now split between supporters of its former leader Wayne LaPierre and another faction, led by Mr. Bachenberg, that wants to distance itself from LaPierre’s controversial past.
Doug Hamlin, the newly appointed CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA), stated that due to the organization’s significant expenses in fighting a legal case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, they would need to focus their efforts strategically in the upcoming 2024 election.
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