Trump, other Republicans reject gun reforms at NRA convention that showcases

“Remember this: There are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning or using of firearms, laws that have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts on innocent people in peaceful communities,” he said.

Trump in his speech called for a series of measures that largely mirrored what other Republicans had proposed throughout the day: Schools with a single entryway, with armed guards stationed there, and exit-only fire escapes. He also said some teachers should be allowed to carry firearms.

But Trump also nodded to the political reality that gun rights advocates represent a core constituency for Republicans, and for the former President in particular. “You are the backbone of our movement,” he said Friday.

Cruz, meanwhile, blamed a “cultural sickness,” including fatherless children and video games, for mass shootings. He said schools should have a single entry point defended by multiple armed guards.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem attacked advocates of gun safety legislation.

“Let me tell you the truth about the enemies of the Second Amendment. They are schooled in the ways of Marx and Lenin,” she said.

And NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said that “if we as a nation were capable of legislating evil out of the hearts and minds of criminals who commit these heinous acts, we would have done it a long time ago.”

The tale of two Americas

In the nation’s bitter divide over guns, the tale of two Americas was on vivid display in downtown Houston, as protesters waved signs and shouted at NRA members as they walked into the George R. Brown Convention Center for their meeting and exposition.

“NRA, go away,” a woman said over and over, her voice echoing through a bullhorn beneath the punishing sunshine.

“You go away,” another woman yelled back as she crossed the street to enter the event.

It’s been three years since the NRA last gathered for its convention — the last two years were called off because of the Covid-19 pandemic — and thousands of people descended on Houston to show their support for the Second Amendment and to go shopping in the expansive exposition hall.

In celebration of its 150th anniversary, the NRA went big for its Texas meeting, with a sign outside the convention center promising “14 acres of guns and gear.”

Guns of all shapes and sizes were on display, from antique pistols to automatic weapons, with some decorated in camouflage and others in American flags. Hundreds of vendors set up booths for the weekend, selling ammunition and a variety of gun paraphernalia.

“We believe this week is not the appropriate time to be promoting our products in Texas at the NRA meeting,” Steve Reed, vice president of marketing for Daniel Defense, told CNN.

A popcorn cart, a baked potato stand and several tables and chairs were hastily set up in the space originally reserved for Daniel Defense, a Georgia company.

In the wake of the shooting, that was the only noticeable alteration to the sprawling exposition hall. But prominent country singers Lee Greenwood and Larry Gatlin were among the performers who also canceled their appearances.

“I didn’t think it was a good time to go down to Houston and have a party with them digging 21 fresh graves in the valley of my precious, beloved Texas,” Gatlin, of the famed Gatlin Brothers, told CNN.

Conversations with several members of the NRA — some from Texas and others who were visiting Houston for the weekend event — found respectful expressions of sympathy at the loss of life at the Uvalde school. Yet person after person placed blame on mental health problems and other issues — not guns — for the horrific shooting.

“It’s not that guns are evil. Guns are tools that can be used for good or evil — just like cars,” said Dr. Elizabeth Tom, who traveled to Texas from Elko, Nevada, for the convention. “Many more people are killed in car wrecks, but nobody says that you have to have a waiting period in order to buy one or that all cars are evil because some people run over other people with them.”

An NRA member for about three decades, Tom said she did not believe that more gun restrictions would prevent future massacres.

“I know this may be somewhat controversial and I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but if any of those teachers had been armed, this might have ended a lot quicker,” Tom…