Transition of power from
Transition of power
Transition of power
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An official from the gun group, the N.R.A., stated that President Trump no longer has confidence in the organization. The official emphasized the need for the N.R.A. to regain trust with Trump and his close advisors in a recent letter.
Written by Danny Hakim
The National Rifle Association’s top official stated in a recent letter to board members that President-elect Donald J. Trump no longer believes in the organization. The official emphasized the need for the NRA to regroup in order to support the Republican Party’s advantage in Congress during the 2026 midterm elections.
Bill Bachenberg, who is the first vice president of the group and a strong supporter of Trump, informed other board members that Trump was disappointed during this year’s election that the N.R.A. did not promise to do more to support his campaign. Bachenberg also mentioned that at the group’s annual conference in May, Trump was surprised to learn that the N.R.A. was paying millions of dollars annually to a lawyer named William A. Brewer III, who has historically supported Democratic political candidates with his donations.
Mr. Bachenberg stated in a letter last week that President Trump and his closest advisors no longer have confidence in the N.R.A. This was also confirmed by Mark Vaughan, the second vice president of the N.R.A. Mr. Bachenberg mentioned that he frequently communicates with them and that 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 team, responded by stating that President Trump believes that all Americans have a natural right to protect themselves and their families, and he will support gun owners who follow the law.
The letter shows that the N.R.A. has lost some of its political power. It used to have a lot of influence in Washington, but it has been struggling due to scandals and accusations of corruption. The organization is split between supporters of its former leader Wayne LaPierre and another faction led by Mr. Bachenberg, who wants to move away from LaPierre’s controversial reputation.
The new chief executive of the N.R.A., Doug Hamlin, mentioned in a statement that due to the organization spending a lot of money to protect itself in a civil case led by Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, they will need to focus on specific strategies for the 2024 election.
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