Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will address hundreds of gun owners in Kentucky next week at the National Rifle Association’s annual leadership forum.
The New York billionaire, who’s previously referred to himself as the “strongest person running in favor of the Second Amendment, is one of nearly a dozen speakers scheduled to address attendees next Friday, including two of his former opponents: Sens. Rand Paul, Ky., and Marco Rubio, Fla..
Trump and his sons, Eric and Don Jr., are all lifetime members of the NRA and have actively spoken out against gun control legislation. In his Second Amendement paper released last fall, the candidate suggested nationalizing concealed carry permits and railed against anti-gun politicians and the media for blaming “the acts of deranged madmen” on gun owners across America.
“Our Founding Fathers knew, and our Supreme Court has upheld, that the Second Amendment’s purpose is to guarantee our right to defend ourselves and our families. This is about self-defense, plain and simple,” Trump wrote in the lengthy position paper.
At next week’s gathering, Trump will likely be asked to expand on how he would address gun violence while simultaneously defending the Second Amendment as president.
With the exception of his position paper and an interview with Outdoor Life magazine, the de facto GOP nominee has largely avoided the topic of guns during campaign rallies, media appearances and the GOP primary debates. Many pro-gun groups remain concerned about previous comments he’s made about gun control.
“We’d like very much for Mr. Trump to find some way to walk back what he has written in his book about wanting to ban semi-automatic rifles and expand the background check,” Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, told ThinkProgress earlier this week.
Additional details regarding Trump’s remarks at the NRA Leadership Forum have yet to be released.
