NRA Convention Highlights Partisan Divide on Gun Control Laws

The National Rifle Association held its annual convention in Houston this weekend, which further highlighted the current partisan divide on gun control laws. 

A number of top Republican politicians addressed NRA supporters at the convention, including former President Donald J. Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Cruz criticized Democrats for politicizing the Uvalde school shooting, while Trump cited the tragedy as a reason for Americans to purchase and carry more arms. Meanwhile, thousands of protesters gathered outside the conference and called for new solutions in light of the recent mass shootings.

Vox (Left bias) and other left-rated outlets emphasized how the NRA has been "one of the most influential lobbying groups in the U.S. for decades," and "despite setbacks," the organization "will likely continue to prevent any meaningful progress on the country's gun reforms." Tom Philpott at Mother Jones (Left bias) criticized the speakers at the NRA convention for excluding current gun laws as a core agent of mass shootings. 

Conversely, National Review (Right bias) and other right-rated outlets highlighted how Democrats often use NRA donations as a "convenient target" for not getting new gun control laws passed, even though the organization is "at its lowest point in at least a decade." NewsBusters (Right bias) criticized a "CBS Saturday Morning" segment for deepening partisan divides by accusing the NRA of "killing children." The problem is "not the NRA," the analysis said, "it's the people."