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A vice president of the NRA wrote a letter stating that President Trump has lost confidence in the organization and that they need to work on rebuilding trust with him and his close advisors.
Written by Danny Hakim
An official within the National Rifle Association has stated that President-elect Donald J. Trump no longer trusts the organization. The official believes that the N.R.A. must regroup in order to support the Republican Party’s advantage in Congress during the 2026 midterm elections.
During a meeting with board members, Bill Bachenberg, who is 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 during the election. Bachenberg also shared 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 politicians.
Mr. Bachenberg, along with N.R.A. board’s second vice president Mark Vaughan, stated in a letter that President Trump and his closest advisors no longer trust the N.R.A. They believe there is a lot of work to be done to regain their trust, as well as the trust of their members and donors.
When asked to comment, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, gave a general response. She stated that President Trump believes that all Americans have a natural right to protect themselves and their loved ones, and he will support gun owners who follow the law.
The recent letter indicates that the N.R.A.’s political power has decreased. In the past, the organization was a powerful lobbying group in Washington, but it has been struggling due to scandals and accusations of corruption. There is a division within the group between those who support the former CEO Wayne LaPierre and another faction, led by Mr. Bachenberg, who wants to distance themselves from LaPierre’s controversial past.
Doug Hamlin, the newly appointed CEO of the National Rifle Association (N.R.A.), mentioned in a statement that due to significant financial resources being used to protect the organization in a lawsuit by Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, they will need to focus their efforts strategically in the upcoming 2024 election.
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