Some moments transcend the mere performative nature of a political event and seem to capture the mood of the nation. President Donald J. Trump’s (R) entrance onto the stage in front of about 2,000 NRA members packed into a 1,750-seat room—many standing along the aisles—at the NRA Leadership Forum Saturday in Dallas, Texas, was such a moment.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) had just spoken; however, he didn’t need to warm up this audience of NRA members. Before Abbott came onto the stage, a few couples were actually dancing in the aisles to country music as people were meeting each other with smiles on their faces all over the boisterous room.
Everyone cheered as Abbott said things like: “I want to say to all NRA members here today, as the governor of this great state, welcome to Texas. Where, when it comes to defending our freedoms, it is part of our DNA. Now more than ever, we must fight to protect our Second Amendment rights. And that is exactly what Texas has done. According to the NRA, since I became governor, Texas has passed more significant Second Amendment protections than any other state in the United States of America.”
Soon thereafter, Trump came onto the stage to a standing ovation. He spoke for almost two hours to NRA members across the country.
Here are a few of things Trump said. The speech is also available on YouTube.
- “It is a true honor to be here today to receive the endorsement of the proud American patriots at the NRA. These are great patriots. These are great people. We’re going to do things like nobody can believe. We’re going to win this election at levels that nobody has ever seen before. But thank you for that endorsement. It means a lot to me.”
- “The NRA has stood with me from the very beginning. And with your vote I will stand strong for your rights and liberties.”
- “But one thing I’ll say, and I say it as friends, we’ve got to get gun owners to vote.”
- “Let there be no doubt, the survival of our Second Amendment is very much on the ballot. You know what they want to do ... . The Second Amendment … is under siege. But with me they’d never get anywhere. We need the [Second Amendment] for safety. Because you know the bad guys are not giving up their guns … .”
- “If the Biden regime gets four more years they’re coming for your guns.”
- “They want to take away your rights. Well, I know that better than anybody. They want to take away my rights.”
- “I appointed nearly 300 pro-Constitution judges to interpret the law as written—it is a record by the way.”
- I stopped cold their efforts to take away your ammunition … . When the radical Left Democrats tried to use Covid to shut down gun sales during the China virus, I proudly designated gun-and-ammunition retailers as critical infrastructure so they couldn’t touch [them]. They tried.”
- “We will never give in. We will never give up ... . The great silent majority is rising like never before … . Thank you very much to the NRA.”
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