Donald Trump will address thousands of gun owners on Saturday in an effort to further stoke their enthusiasm for his bid for the White House, a day after launching an obscenity-laden tirade against the Democratic rival. Joe Biden.
During a weekend break from his criminal trial in New York, Trump was scheduled to address the politically powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) in Dallas, Texas later Saturday.
The 150-year-old organization, whose longtime CEO resigned in January amid a corruption case, has been closely aligned with the Republican Party in opposing gun restrictions despite routine mass killings in the United States and relatively high rates of gun violence compared to peer countries . .
Efforts at broad reforms to gun laws have been stymied for decades, with executive actions and state initiatives being attacked in court by critics as infringing on the constitutional right to own a firearm enshrined in the Second Amendment.
Trump previewed the likely fearful tone of his Friday speech when he said at a fundraising dinner in Minnesota that gun owners should vote Republican because “the Democrats want to take their guns away — and they will.”
“That’s why I’m going to talk to the NRA tomorrow to say, ‘You need to get out and vote.'”
Biden has repeatedly called for the reinstatement of a long-expired ban on assault weapons, among other restrictions.
Last month, the White House took action against gun sales at gun shows and online that bypass U.S. federal background checks, with several Republican-led states quickly filing a lawsuit to block the measure.
Vice President Kamala Harris issued a statement through her and Biden’s campaign ahead of Trump’s speech on Saturday, saying that “the choice in this election is clear.”
“President Biden and I will continue to fight the gun lobby to keep Americans safe, while Donald Trump will continue to sacrifice the safety of our children and communities to keep these special interests happy.”
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were more than 40,000 gun-related deaths in the United States last year.
– More ‘cheating’ claims –
During the Minnesota fundraiser, Trump falsely claimed that Biden cheated to win the state in 2020 — and doubled down on another message that cast doubt on the legitimacy of American democracy — with several instances of profanity.
Biden consistently won Democratic Minnesota by more than 200,000 votes.
In addition to his trial in New York, Trump faces pending criminal charges in Washington, Georgia and Florida — charges that the former president labeled “nonsense” while repeating that they were politically motivated.
The prosecutions are a form of “election fraud, no different than what they did four years ago,” Trump claimed.
Biden, meanwhile, flew on Saturday to the swing state of Georgia, which he narrowly won in 2020, to campaign for support from African Americans – a crucial element in his coalition.
On Sunday, he was scheduled to address students at Morehouse University, a renowned historically black institution.
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