DALLAS (AP) 鈥 Former President Donald Trump urged gun owners to vote in the 2024 election as he addressed thousands of members of the 好色tv Rifle Association, which officially endorsed him just before Trump took the stage at their annual meeting in Texas on Saturday.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to get gun owners to vote," Trump said. 鈥淚 think you鈥檙e a rebellious bunch. But let鈥檚 be rebellious and vote this time."
Trump, in his speech, said the Second Amendment 鈥渋s very much on the ballot" in November, alleging that, if Democratic President Joe Biden 鈥済ets four more years they are coming for your guns, 100% certain. Crooked Joe has a 40-year-record of trying to rip firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.鈥
The Biden administration has taken a number of steps to try to combat , including that aims to close a loophole that has allowed tens of thousands of guns to be sold every year by unlicensed dealers who do not perform background checks.
Trump has pledged to continue to defend the Second Amendment, which he claims is 鈥渦nder siege," and has 鈥渢he best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House鈥 as the United States faces record numbers of deaths due to mass shootings. Last year ended with 42 mass killings and 217 deaths, making it one of the .
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has been criticized by Biden, specifically for remarks that Trump made this year after a . Trump called the incident 鈥渧ery terrible鈥 only to later say that 鈥渨e have to get over it. We have to move forward.鈥
Trump, during his speech, also laced into independent presidential candidate , calling him 鈥渞adical left" and 鈥渁 disaster,鈥 and noting that Kennedy had once ."
鈥淒on鈥檛 think about it. Don鈥檛 waste your vote,鈥 he said. 鈥淗e calls you a terrorist group, and I call you the backbone of America.鈥 (Kennedy later said in a Fox News interview that he didn鈥檛 remember his 2018 tweet. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 consider them a terror group, and I support the Second Amendment," he said.)
Trump noted he will be speaking next week at the Libertarian Party's convention and said he will urge its members to vote for him.
鈥淲e have to join with them," he said. 鈥淲e have to get that 3% because we can鈥檛 take a chance on Joe Biden winning."
Earlier Saturday, Trump鈥檚 campaign and the Republican 好色tv Committee announced the creation of a new 鈥淕un Owners for Trump" coalition that includes gun rights activists and those who work in the firearms industry.
has made curtailing gun violence a major part of his administration and reelection campaign, creating overseen by Biden also has urged Congress to ban so-called assault weapons 鈥 something Democrats shied from even just a few years ago.
鈥淭onight, Donald Trump confirmed that he will do exactly what the NRA tells him to do 鈥 even if it means more death, more shootings, and more suffering," said Biden spokesman Ammar Moussa.
When Trump was president, there were moments when he pledged to strengthen gun laws. After a high school mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people and wounded 17 others, Trump told survivors and family members that he would be He to the NRA but later he backpedaled, saying there was 鈥渘ot much political support.鈥
On Saturday, Trump also brought up the criminal cases against him as his heads into the final stretch next week and accused Democrats of being behind these cases because he is Biden's opponent.
鈥淣ever forget our enemies want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom,鈥 he said.
Trump criticized Biden's border policies, repeating his pledge that he will order the largest domestic deportation operation. He spoke about abortion and warned Republicans not to be so extreme on abortion to remain electable.
鈥淚n my opinion, Republicans have not been talking about it intelligently. They haven鈥檛 been talking about it with knowledge," he said. 鈥淩emember, speak from your heart. But you also have to get elected again.鈥
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Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. Follow the AP鈥檚 coverage of the 2024 election at .
