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NRA Has Big Plans for New Presidency

Hopes to loosen gun restrictions in states like New York and California

National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre plans to utilize the new presidency to forward their agenda. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre plans to utilize the new presidency to forward their agenda. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The National Rifle Association plans to use President-elect Donald Trump’s term in office to pass a federal law that would make gun-carrying permits issued in one state valid across the country.

“This is our historic moment to go on offense,” NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said in a post-election video. 

The NRA spent $30 million in ad buys in support of Trump’s campaign, The Guardian reported. Trump has pledged to nominate a Supreme Court justice who supports gun rights. 

The group also aims to end “the absolute fallacy of gun-free zones,” LaPierre said in the address. 

“Part of the problem for the NRA is that they’ve been so successful already that there’s not a lot for them to accomplish,” Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor and gun politics expert, told the newspaper.

If Congress were to pass the national reciprocity legislation, making it easy to carry a concealed firearm across the country, Winkler said the NRA would “organize gun owners to descend en masse in places like New York City.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot more very bold, aggressive, in-your-face political actions by gun rights activists,” he said.

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