NRA Head Wayne LaPierre 's CPAC Speech Sounded Like Trump
Wayne LaPierre
It was to be expected that  Wayne LaPierre   the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association (NRA)  would talk about guns and the importance of the Second Amendment during  his  speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday. But  LaPierre  also fiercely criticized institutions like the FBI and the mainstream media — and did so using rhetoric that  at times  sounded a lot like President Donald Trump.
“Every day young children are being dropped off at schools that are virtually wide open soft targets for anyone bent on mass murder ”  LaPierre  said during  his  CPAC speech Thursday. “It should not be easier for a madman to shoot up a school than a bank or a jewelry store or some Hollywood gala. Schools must be the most hardened target in this country and evil must be confronted immediately with all necessary force to protect our kids.”
While it has long been the NRA’s position that there should be more guns in schools to guard against mass shootings — “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun” is a talking point  LaPierre  has used for years —  LaPierre  followed Trump’s lead during  his  CPAC speech  fiercely criticizing the FBI for the Florida shooting. The FBI has acknowledged it failed to properly investigate a tip about alleged shooter Nikolas Cruz.
Trump’s and  LaPierre ’s attacks on Thursday also extended to the mainstream news media  long a favorite foil of conservatives – and perhaps Trump more so than anyone. Just as the President has dismissed stories and even entire news outlets whose coverage is unfavorable to him as “fake news ”  LaPierre  lamented that coverage of the Second Amendment and gun control issues is unfairly skewed  saying journalists “hate the NRA” and are “eager to smear” the organization. Speaking at the NRA’s annual meeting last year   LaPierre  said the media was constructing a “calculated campaign to destroy honest truth… to dictate how we should think  how we should feel  or how we should act.”
And despite whatever daylight may open in the days ahead between Trump   LaPierre  and the NRA — on strengthening background checks  raising age requirements for gun purchases  and how exactly to change the rules around “bump stocks” — they agree on something else: that the NRA cares.
“What many people don’t understand  or don’t want to understand  is that Wayne [ LaPierre ] Chris [Cox] and the folks who work so hard at the NRA are Great People and Great American Patriots ” Trump said Thursday morning on Twitter. “They love our Country and will do the right thing. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Just hours later   LaPierre  declared of gun control advocates during  his  CPAC speech: “They don’t care if their laws work or not ”  he  added. They just want get more laws to get more control over people. But the NRA  the NRA does care.”
It was to be expected that  [TGT]would talk about guns and the importance of the Second Amendment during  [TGT]  speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday. But  [TGT]also fiercely criticized institutions like the FBI and the mainstream media — and did so using rhetoric that  at times  sounded a lot like President Donald Trump.
“Every day young children are being dropped off at schools that are virtually wide open soft targets for anyone bent on mass murder ”  [TGT]said during  [TGT]  CPAC speech Thursday. “It should not be easier for a madman to shoot up a school than a bank or a jewelry store or some Hollywood gala. Schools must be the most hardened target in this country and evil must be confronted immediately with all necessary force to protect our kids.”
While it has long been the NRA’s position that there should be more guns in schools to guard against mass shootings — “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun” is a talking point  [TGT]has used for years —  [TGT]followed Trump’s lead during  [TGT]  CPAC speech  fiercely criticizing the FBI for the Florida shooting. The FBI has acknowledged it failed to properly investigate a tip about alleged shooter Nikolas Cruz.
Trump’s and  LaPierre ’s attacks on Thursday also extended to the mainstream news media  long a favorite foil of conservatives – and perhaps Trump more so than anyone. Just as the President has dismissed stories and even entire news outlets whose coverage is unfavorable to him as “fake news ”  [TGT]lamented that coverage of the Second Amendment and gun control issues is unfairly skewed  saying journalists “hate the NRA” and are “eager to smear” the organization. Speaking at the NRA’s annual meeting last year   [TGT]said the media was constructing a “calculated campaign to destroy honest truth… to dictate how we should think  how we should feel  or how we should act.”
And despite whatever daylight may open in the days ahead between Trump   [TGT]and the NRA — on strengthening background checks  raising age requirements for gun purchases  and how exactly to change the rules around “bump stocks” — they agree on something else: that the NRA cares.
“What many people don’t understand  or don’t want to understand  is that Wayne [ LaPierre ] Chris [Cox] and the folks who work so hard at the NRA are Great People and Great American Patriots ” Trump said Thursday morning on Twitter. “They love our Country and will do the right thing. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Just hours later   [TGT]declared of gun control advocates during  [TGT]  CPAC speech: “They [TGT] care if [TGT] laws work or not ”  [TGT]  added. They just want get more laws to get more control over people. But the NRA  the NRA does care.”