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A vice president of the National Rifle Association (N.R.A.) stated in a recent letter that President Donald J. Trump has no longer believe in the organization. The letter emphasized the need for the N.R.A. 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 trusts the organization. The official expressed in a letter to board members that the N.R.A. needs to reorganize in order to support the Republican Party’s advantage in Congress during the 2026 midterm elections.
During a recent conversation, Bill Bachenberg, the first vice president of the group and a strong supporter of Trump, mentioned to other board members that Trump was frustrated that the NRA did not do more to support him during the election. Additionally, Bachenberg noted that Trump was surprised to learn that the NRA was paying millions of dollars annually to lawyer William A. Brewer III, who has historically supported Democratic political donations. This conversation took place at the group’s annual conference in May.
Mr. Bachenberg stated in a recent letter, co-signed by N.R.A. board’s second vice president Mark Vaughan, that President Trump and his close advisors no longer have trust in the N.R.A. He mentioned that he frequently communicates with them and emphasized the need to regain their trust, as well as that of the N.R.A. members and donors.
When asked for a comment, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, gave a general response. She stated that President Trump supports the belief that all Americans have a natural right to defend themselves and their families, and he will support those who follow the law when it comes to owning guns.
The recent letter indicates that the N.R.A.’s political power has decreased. Despite once being a powerful lobbying group in Washington, 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 seeks to move away from LaPierre’s controversial reputation.
The newly appointed CEO of the N.R.A., Doug Hamlin, mentioned in a statement that due to the organization’s significant spending on defending itself in a civil case brought by Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, they will need to adopt a focused strategy for the 2024 election.
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