NRA leaders were blistering in their condemnation of Clinton, accusing her of threatening Americans’ freedom and being driven by personal greed.
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Donald Trump – who just a few years ago praised President Obama’s appeal for stronger gun control after the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. – was endorsed and embraced by the National Rifle Association on Friday, completing his rapid transformation into a fierce pro-gun advocate. In April, those who gave $1 million or more to anti-Trump groups included Richard Uihlein, the IL cardboard-box magnate; Paul Singer, the NY hedge fund manager; and Michael Vlock of CT, a member of the billionaire Pritzker family. At the start of May, however, Clinton’s campaign and super PAC had built a combined stockpile of almost $77 million in available cash, chunks of which will be used to savage Trump in the months ahead.
Tickets start at $25,000, an invitation obtained by The Los Angeles Times shows. Trump’s loans have made up roughly 75 percent of the $59 million his campaign has raised, around $57 million of which was spent on the primary battle. After consistently trailing Clinton by about 7 points throughout the primary season, Trump has slashed that down to just 2 points in the HuffPost Pollster average.
Supports on both sides expressed hope that when a nominee is picked, the party will be united behind the choice. But Trump’ll keep the gun dreams alive!
Chris Cox, the NRA’s executive director, later added that, if she were elected president, Clinton would put “a radical gun activist in Scalia’s seat as soon as she can”, referring to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February.
Trump has lots of catching up to do. An allied super-political action committee has amassed $46.7 million to support her in the general election, and said donors have pledged another $45 million. The source said Corker remains on Trump’s list of potential vice presidential running mates. Clinton and Sanders have each spent close to $200 million, compared with $56.5 million by Trump. “He said he’d work seven days a week”.
Sanders’ heavy campaign spending wasn’t a problem when his online supporters were minting him money.
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Asked by Stephanopoulos whether he would describe Clinton as the lesser of two evils against Donald Trump, Sanders responded, “No, I wouldn’t describe it, but that’s what the American people are saying”. But she said he can’t abandon the advertising “battlefield” entirely. Her campaign platform includes expanded background checks, taking military-grade weapons off of the streets, making it easier for victims to hold gun manufacturers and sellers accountable, and preventing domestic abusers from owning firearms – while acknowledging that “gun ownership is part of the fabric of many law-abiding communities”.
