The ANR’s annual meeting was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this year the organization is moving forward with its plans, holding the meeting at a time when both human rights weapons such as the organization itself have been subjected to intense scrutiny, especially after a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, left 21 dead.
This is what we know about the 2022 annual meeting.
The NRA 2022 Annual Meeting and Exhibitions take place May 27-29, according to the event’s website. The leadership forum will take place on Friday afternoon, which the organization describes as “one of the most politically significant and popular events in the country”.
Where is the meeting?
The leadership forum will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, the same venue as last September’s 2021 annual meeting.
Who can attend the meeting?
The annual meeting is only open to ANR members. The organization currently has more than five million members, according to its website.
Who are the speakers this year?
Friday’s meeting will feature comments from eight people, including NRA chief Wayne LaPierre and Jason Ouimet, the executive director of the group’s lobby, according to the event’s website.
Trump will also speak at the event. The former president, who maintained a close relationship with the arms lobby and its activists throughout his presidency, spoke at the 2019 event, which marked his fifth consecutive speech at the annual meeting.
In addition to Trump, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, also a Republican, are also scheduled to speak at Friday’s meeting. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, both Republicans, will also make statements.
What are the security measures?
The NRA said that since Trump will be at the event, the U.S. Secret Service will “take control of the General Assembly Room and have magnetometers available before entry.”
Attendees are prohibited from carrying “firearms, firearm accessories, knives and other items,” including backpacks and selfie sticks.
What has happened since the 2019 meeting?
Friday’s annual meeting will take place at a time when gun rights and the ANR have been under intense scrutiny, with gun control supporters turning their attention to the organization this week after a 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 children and two teachers. a primary school in Uvalde, Texas, before being killed by law enforcement, officials said.
The ANR condemned the shooting in a statement on Wednesday, calling it a “horrible and bad crime”.
“While it is being investigated and facts are still emerging, we acknowledge that it was the act of a lone and upset criminal,” the group said. “As we meet in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, acknowledge our patriotic members, and commit to redouble our commitment to ensuring the safety of our schools.”
The massacre is the deadliest shooting at a school since the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut that left 26 dead, including 20 children ages 6-7.
The NRA has also struggled to stay afloat after New York Attorney General Letitia James asked to dissolve the NRA for alleged misuse of charitable funds. In March, a New York State Supreme Court judge blocked James’ attempt to disband the organization, but allowed the lawsuit against her to move forward. And observers are also waiting for a decision from the United States Supreme Court in the most important case of the Second Amendment it has taken. in more than a decade. Judges are considering whether to repeal a New York gun law enacted more than a century ago that imposes restrictions on carrying a concealed weapon away from home.
What happened at the last annual meeting?
At the 2019 annual meeting, Trump announced that he would not ratify a United Nations arms trade treaty and then signed a message to the Senate in front of an audience of ANR leaders.
The meeting was also notable because then-NRA President Oliver North told its members that he would not be named president of the group after a dispute with LaPierre. The announcement was made in a letter in which North said he hoped he would be reappointed for a second term, but: “I am now informed that this will not happen.”
Already a controversial figure due to his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal, North joined the NRA at a critical time for this, as he responded to new calls for arms control following the shooting of the 2017 School in Parkland, Florida.
This story has been updated with an NRA statement.
CNN’s Ariane de Vogue, Sonia Moghe, Jeremy Diamond, Maegan Vazquez and Nikki Carvajal contributed to this report.