President Donald Trump has told the National Rifle Association convention that his administration was fighting to protect their constitutional right to bear arms.
Trump told the convention on Friday in Dallas that they had an administration in Washington that was “fighting to protect your Second Amendment, and we will protect your Second Amendment”.
The president told tens of thousands of attendees that their right to bear arms was “under siege”.
But he pledged that those rights “will never, ever be under siege as long as I’m your president”.
“Thanks to your activism and dedication you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment” @realDonaldTrump #MAGA #NRA pic.twitter.com/YHUqnpjMjy
— NRA (@NRA) May 4, 2018
Trump did not elaborate on how the Second Amendment was under siege.
The president was addressing the NRA gathering nearly three months after a deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
The president temporarily strayed from the group’s strong opposition to tougher gun controls after the school shooting – only to rapidly return to the fold.
He was speaking at the event for the fourth year in a row. Last year, he became the first sitting president to appear in more than 30 years, declaring that the “assault” on the Second Amendment had ended.
But this year’s speech in Dallas came as the issue of gun violence takes on new urgency after one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.
Several groups have announced plans to protest over the weekend during the NRA event. The protesters will include parents of those killed in Parkland and other shootings.
He later backpedalled, expressing support for modest changes to the background check system, as well as arming teachers.
His attendance at this year’s NRA convention was announced just days ago and came after Vice President Mike Pence was already scheduled to appear.
“We also support the Second Amendment, and strongly support it, and don’t see there to be a problem with speaking at the National Rifle Association’s meeting,” she said.
Mr Trump has long enjoyed strong backing from the NRA, which spent about 30 million US dollars (£22 million) supporting his presidential campaign.
