Former President Trump urged members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) to “be rebellious and vote” for him in the 2024 election after accepting the gun rights group’s endorsement.
Trump promised thousands of attendees at the NRA convention in Dallas that he will “strongly defend your rights and freedoms,” claiming the Second Amendment is “under siege” while President Biden is in office.
The presumptive Republican nominee said that while gun owners generally don’t vote, it’s “important” that they turn out in November.
“We would flood them at levels no one has ever seen before,” he said Saturday, drawing laughter from those in attendance. “So I guess you’re a rebellious bunch, but let’s be rebellious and vote this time.”
“You’ve got to get all your friends and all the gun owners to come in, they’ve got to vote, if they vote, there’s no one who can beat us,” he added, before thanking NRA employees for their support.
Trump stated during his speech, his ninth speech before the NRA, that gun owners’ rights are “definitely” on the ballot in 2024, arguing that the administration would “100% come for your guns” if Biden were re-elected. The former president was criticized by Biden for his past comments about school shootings.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) placed billboards near the NRA site ahead of the convention, criticizing Trump for his rhetoric on gun violence and reform. The former president made similar comments to NRA members in Pennsylvania earlier this year, promising stronger protections for gun owners if he were elected in November.
“I promise you this, with me at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, no one will lay a finger on your firearms — just as it did for four years when I was your president,” he said at the time.
After praising North Carolina lieutenant governor Mark Robinson, who is running to become the state’s governor, Trump turned his ire toward independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate.
“He’s radical left,” Trump said. “Don’t think about it. Don’t waste your vote.”
“We need a conservative person with common sense, this guy is from the radical left who destroyed New York,” he added.
Both candidates are expected to appear at the upcoming Libertarian Party convention. Kennedy challenged Trump to a debate as both men appear at convention in DC
“RFK Jr. calls you a terrorist group,” he said of Kennedy. “He calls you a terrorist group, I can’t vote for him.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
