Trump at NRA convention: ‘Eight-year assault’ on gun rights is over

On the eve of his 100th day in office, President Trump rallied a convention of the National Rifle Association by vowing to “never, ever infringe” on Second Amendment rights and declaring his predecessor’s alleged “assault” on those freedoms is over.

“I am here to deliver you good news: the eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end,” Trump told the cheering crowd.

Trump is the first sitting president to address an NRA convention in more than three decades. The last president to do so was Ronald Reagan in 1983.

Trump started his address with a freewheeling recollection of his November election victory, crediting the gun rights group for helping him win. “You came through for me and I am going to come through for you,” he said.

“I will never, ever infringe on the rights of the people to keep and bear arms,” Trump told the crowd.

The president’s speech touched on familiar themes – his vow to root out radical Islamic terrorists and build a border wall with Mexico.

“You need that wall to stop human trafficking,” Trump said. “We’ll build the wall, don’t even think about it. We need the wall.”

Ahead of Trump’s appearance, the chief lobbyist for the NRA told the group’s convention that on Election Day, “our candidate became our president.”

Chris Cox received repeated ovations as he addressed the NRA’s 146th annual meeting. Cox named some of the key appointees in the Trump administration, including newly installed Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

The applause was interspersed with boos when he mentioned Clinton and Obama.

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