Tens of thousands of gun rights supporters are heading to Dallas this week for the National Rifle Association's annual meeting, which will also include former President Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Here's what you need to know about the conference.
Largest gathering of the Second Amendment
The event, billed as the nation's largest gathering of Second Amendment supporters, will be held Friday through Sunday at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas. This year marks his 153rd annual meeting of the organization.
The seminar will feature tips on concealed carry, school safety, and how to interact with law enforcement. The 14-acre exhibit space will feature approximately 650 vendors with guns and equipment. More than 70,000 people are expected to attend.
“This is a great place for everyone, NRA members and Second Amendment supporters,” said NRA spokesman Nick Perine.
Dallas last hosted the event in 2018, and Houston in 2022.
President Trump addresses lawmakers
Trump, who will deliver the keynote address Saturday afternoon, has appeared frequently on NRA stages since his first address to the organization in 2015.
President Trump has repeatedly promised to protect the rights of gun owners even as the United States grapples with an epidemic of gun violence. In February, the former president told NRA commissioners gathered at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that when he returned to the White House, “nobody would ever lay a finger on your firearm.” ” he said. Trump also boasted that he did “nothing” on gun control during his presidency.
“For four years nothing happened. And there was a lot of pressure to have something to do with guns. We didn't do anything. We didn't budge,” he told the crowd.
But President Trump has banned bump stocks, a gun accessory that allows semi-automatic rifles to fire at high speeds like machine guns. The ban was issued after a Las Vegas gunman used an assault-style rifle at a country music festival in 2017, killing 60 people and injuring hundreds more, many of them with bumps. It was equipped with a stock. The US Supreme Court is currently considering a challenge to this ban.
Admission to the event is free, but participants must be members of the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Are firearms allowed?
Attendees may carry firearms at meetings, with one notable exception.
Perine said Secret Service regulations prohibit the use of firearms, gun accessories and knives at events where Trump and Abbott will speak. Participants will be screened and searched prior to entry. Backpacks, laser pointers, mace and pepper spray, toy guns, selfie sticks, and umbrellas are also prohibited.
NRA dispute
This year's conference comes as the NRA is in turmoil. In February, a New York jury found the organization's longtime head, Wayne LaPierre, guilty of misappropriating millions of dollars. He was accused of using the funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle that included exotic vacations and trips on private planes and yachts.
Mr. LaPierre is required to repay approximately $4.4 million to the NRA, but jurors found that the NRA's assets were not properly managed, that information was leaked or misrepresented on tax returns, and that It was determined that there had been a violation of whistleblower protection. Mr. LaPierre announced his resignation a few days before the start of his trial.
Andrew Arulanandam, a longtime NRA executive, has been named interim CEO.
