Organizers for the Conservative Political Action Conference withheld the name of a top National Rifle Association executive from the schedule of speakers they released on Monday, just days after a young shooter killed 17 children and adults in a Parkland, Fla., high school.
But sources familiar with the situation said Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s executive vice president and CEO, will still deliver his speech at CPAC this week as planned.
The details of LaPierre’s appearance were kept off the published schedule as a precaution, sources told the Washington Examiner, amid outrage among anti-gun protesters in the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Sources said they do not yet know how or whether they plan to announce the timing of LaPierre’s speech in advance.
LaPierre has graced the main stage at CPAC every year for at least the past decade, and the NRA has historically served as major supporter of the annual conservative gathering.
The group that organizes CPAC each year, the American Conservative Union, included the timing of a Second Amendment discussion and subsequent panel on the schedule ACU officials released online this week.
However, the schedule makes no mention of the NRA, which last year sponsored the Ronald Reagan Dinner, according to the 2017 CPAC schedule. The 2018 agenda does not note which organization is sponsoring the dinner, which is open to sponsors and attendees who pay extra for premium tickets.
The NRA has weathered fierce criticism for its support of gun rights in the days since suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire in the Parkland school with a firearm he purchased legally.
Democrats have reprised calls for legislation that would limit the kinds of guns available for purchase and the requirements prospective gun owners must meet in order to obtain firearms.
And a group survivors of the attack on their high school have begun organizing an anti-gun campaign that includes a call for politicians to reject support from the NRA.
President Trump, who will speak at CPAC on Friday, has signaled his administration is willing to consider measures that address school shootings, such as new mental health policies. Trump has not directly addressed the discussion about gun control, however, sparking criticism from Democrats who want to engage the president on guns.
The NRA did not respond to a request for comment on LaPierre’s appearance or the group’s anticipated presence at CPAC.
