The NRA’s annual meeting was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the organization is going ahead with its plans this year, holding the meeting at a time when both gun rights and the organization have come under fire, particularly after a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 people dead.
Here’s everything we know so far regarding the annual conference in 2022.
According to the event website, the NRA’s 2022 Annual Meeting & Exhibits will be held on May 27-29, 2022. The leadership forum, which the group describes as “one of the country’s most politically important and popular events,” will take place on Friday afternoon.
Who Is Allowed to Attend the Meeting?
Only NRA members are permitted to attend the annual meeting. According to the organization’s website, it has over five million members.
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The leadership forum will take place at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where it was scheduled to take place last September for the 2021 annual conference.
Who Are the Speakers for This Year’s Event?
According to the event website, eight persons will speak at the gathering, including NRA President Wayne LaPierre and Jason Ouimet, the executive director of the group’s lobbying arm.
On this occasion, Trump will also speak. The former President, who had a strong connection with the gun lobby and participated in its activities during his term, gave his sixth address to the annual gathering in 2019.
In addition to Trump, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, and Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw are also set to speak at the gathering on Friday. Both South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, both Republicans, will speak.
What Safeguards Are in Place?
The NRA said that the US Secret Service “will seize control of the General Assembly Hall and have magnetometers in place before admission” since Trump would be there. It is forbidden to bring “firearms, weapon accessories, knives, and other goods,” such as backpacks and selfie sticks, to the event.
Since the 2019 Summit, What Has Happened?
The NRA’s annual meeting on Friday comes at a time when gun rights and the organization are under fire, with gun control advocates focusing their attention on the organization this week after an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, before being shot by police, according to officials.
The NRA called the massacre a “horrific and vile act” in a statement released on Wednesday.
“Despite the fact that an investigation is ongoing and details are still surfacing,” the organization declared, “We understand this was the act of a lone, insane criminal.” “As we convene in Houston, we will reflect on these tragedies, pray for the victims, honor our patriotic members, and resolve to redouble our efforts to ensure the safety of our schools.”
The attack is the bloodiest at a school since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Connecticut, which killed 26 people, including 20 children ages 6 to 7.
After New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit to dissolve the NRA for allegedly abusing charity contributions, the NRA has been fighting to stay afloat. James’ effort to disband the group was thwarted by a New York State Supreme Court decision in March, but her lawsuit against it was permitted to continue.
Anders is also awaiting the US Supreme Court’s ruling on the most important Second Amendment issue the court has heard in over a decade. The judges are debating whether to overturn a gun law passed in New York over a century ago that prohibits carrying a hidden weapon outside the house.
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What Occurred at The Most Recent Annual Meeting?
Trump stated that he will not approve a United Nations weapons trade deal at the NRA’s annual gathering in 2019, and then signed a letter to the Senate in front of an audience of NRA officials.
The conference was also important since it was at it that then-NRA President Oliver North informed members that he would not be renominated as president of the organization due to a disagreement with LaPierre. North announced the news in a letter in which he expressed his disappointment at not being renominated for a second term, writing, “I am now told that will not happen.”
North joined the NRA at a pivotal point for it, as it reacted to increased demands for gun regulation in the aftermath of the 2017 school massacre in Parkland, Florida. He was already a controversial figure owing to his participation in the Iran-Contra controversy. The NRA has issued a statement in response to this report.
