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A vice president of the NRA wrote a letter stating that Donald J. Trump no longer has confidence in the organization. The letter emphasized the need for the NRA to regain trust with Trump and his closest advisors.
Written by Danny Hakim
A top official at the National Rifle Association has stated that President-elect Donald J. Trump no longer has confidence in the organization. The official believes the NRA needs to regroup in order to support the Republican Party’s advantage in Congress during the 2026 midterm elections.
During a meeting with fellow board members, 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 him in the election. Bachenberg also stated that Trump was surprised to learn that the N.R.A. was paying millions of dollars annually to a lawyer, William A. Brewer III, who has historically donated more to Democratic candidates. This conversation took place at the N.R.A.’s annual conference in May.
Last week, Mr. Bachenberg and Mark Vaughan, the second vice president of the N.R.A. board, wrote a letter stating that President Trump and his closest advisors no longer trust the N.R.A. They mentioned that they are in frequent communication with them and there is a lot of work to be done to regain their trust, as well as the trust of the organization’s members and donors.
When approached for a response, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, gave a general reply. She stated that President Trump supports the idea that all Americans have the inherent right to defend themselves and their loved ones, and he will support those who follow the law when it comes to owning guns.
The recent letter shows that the N.R.A. has lost some of its political power. It used to be a powerful lobbying group in Washington, but scandals and accusations of corruption have weakened it. The organization is now split between supporters of its former leader Wayne LaPierre and another group, led by Mr. Bachenberg, who want to distance themselves from LaPierre’s controversial past.
The new CEO of the N.R.A., Doug Hamlin, mentioned in a statement that due to the organization’s significant spending in a legal case against Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, they will need to focus their efforts on specific areas during the 2024 election cycle.
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