The relationship between President Trump and the National Rifle Association is an awkward odd-couple partnership where both sides get most of what they want. Trump wanted the group’s endorsement, election support and votes in November 2016, and the NRA wanted a president who would avert a Hillary Clinton-appointed fifth anti-Second Amendment Supreme Court Justice, and sign some pro-gun pieces of legislation into law.
The attendees of the NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta still had full-throated enthusiasm for Trump, the first president to address the group’s annual conference since President Reagan did so in 1983. Red “Make America Great Again” hats and Trump-Pence t-shirts were still in style, and they warmly welcomed the president; Trump said how pleased he was “back with my friends at the NRA — you are my friends, believe me!”
Trump’s speech at the NRA convention in Lexington, Kentucky last year, accepting the group’s endorsement, was a rambling, largely-improvised, not-terribly-gun-rights-focused speech that the attendees enjoyed primarily because of the pledge to beat Hillary Clinton. (Discussing his sons’ gun collections, Trump said, “They have so many rifles, so many guns, that even I get concerned. I say, ‘That’s a lot!’”) One year later, there’s not much sign Trump’s off-the-cuff speaking style has changed. But he’s got a huge, surprise presidential victory to brag about, and Trump enjoys retelling the story of the campaign with relish.
“Remember the last time we were all together? We had a big crowd then, too, so we knew something was happening,” Trump said, smiling. “What fun that was, November 8! Wasn’t that a great evening? You remember? They said, ‘Trump has won Michigan!’ They go, ‘Michigan, how?’ Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, all the way up, we ran up the East Coast… They said ‘there’s no route to 270,’ we ended up with 306. Big sports fans said that was the single most exciting thing they ever seen, and they’ve seen Super Bowls, and boxing championships, and it meant a lot.”
Most politicians who address the National Rifle Association just add a few lines to their standard stump speech, and today Trump returned to his greatest hits. He boasted of the dramatic decline in attempted border crossings, praised Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly for the progress in removing criminal aliens, and stopping drugs. He pledged to build the wall, and the attendees roared in approval. “We’ll build a wall. Don’t even think about it. Don’t even think about it. Don’t even think about it. That’s an easy one.”
Trump remains allergic to discussing policy details. He didn’t mention national concealed carry reciprocity, the top national legislative priority of the NRA. Discussing his commitment to veterans, he declared, “At the VA, people are seeing a big difference, we are working very hard. I have been telling you we’re going to do it, and we’re doing it.”
But towards the end, Trump returned his attention to his prepared remarks and hit the notes one would expect of a Republican president addressing a key constituency with specific goals.
“I will never, ever infringe upon the right of the people to keep and bear arms,” Trump said. “Freedom is not a gift from government, freedom is a gift from God.”
He emphasized a promise – or perhaps a part of a deal: ”You came through for me, and I am going to come through for you.”
Is Trump the perfect lawmaker for America’s gun owners? Not really. But his election has prevented the enactment of a lot of bad laws and the nomination of bad judges, and now that he’s in office, he has at least created the potential to enact good legislation and the confirmation of at least one good Supreme Court Justice. Considering the grim outlook of one year ago, the NRA will gladly take today’s situation.