Trump: ‘Eight-Year Assault’ on Second Amendment at an End

President Donald Trump promised his “friends at the NRA” that he would “never, ever let you down” when he addressed them during the National Rifle Association’s Leadership Forum in Georgia Friday afternoon.

The president expressed his gratitude to the NRA for endorsing his candidacy and funneling its resources into electing him and other Second Amendment proponents in 2016. Touting his NRA-friendly accomplishments carried out during his first 99 days in office, Trump promised that though “these are dangerous times … we’re going to make them great times again.”

“The eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end. You have a true friend and champion in the White House.”

“The eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end. You have a true friend and champion in the White House,” Trump said. “No longer will federal agencies be coming after law-abiding gun owners. No longer will the government be trying to undermine your rights and your freedoms as Americans.”

“But you came through for me, and I am going to come through for you,” the president promised. “We want to ensure you of the sacred right of self-defense for all of our citizens.”

Trump walked through a number of promises he has already kept early on in his presidency. Touting his successful nomination of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, the president said he kept his promise to appoint a justice who would honor the Constitution and the Second Amendment.

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The president also pointed to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke’s move to rescind former President Barack Obama’s 11th-hour executive order banning lead bullets.

“We’ve also moved very quickly to restore something gun owners care about very, very much — it’s called the rule of law,” Trump said. “We have made clear that our administration will always stand with the incredible men and women of law enforcement.”

“As members of the NRA know well, some of the most important decisions a president can make are appointments. And I’ve appointed people who believe in law, order and justice,” Trump added.

Highlighting Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ early work cracking down on illegal immigration and enforcing U.S. laws, Trump said that “Sessions is putting our priorities into action.”

“For too long Washington has gone after law-abiding gun owners while making life easier for criminals, drug dealers, traffickers, and gang members,” Trump proclaimed. “We are protecting the freedoms of law-abiding Americans, and we are going after the criminal gangs and cartels that prey on our innocent citizens, and we are really going after them.”

Noting that illegal border crossings have already decreased by over 70 percent since his inauguration, the president promised that the border wall would be built — no matter how long the wait becomes or how high the cost rises.

“You need that wall to stop the human trafficking, to stop the drugs, to stop the wrong people. You need the wall,” Trump said.

Noting that freedom “is not a gift from the government,” but is rather “a gift from God,” Trump pledged that his administration will always support “the right of a sovereign people to govern their own affairs and govern them properly.”

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“Public officials must serve under the Constitution — not above it. We all took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and that means defending the Second Amendment,” Trump said to raucous applause.

“So let me make a simple promise to everyone of the freedom-loving Americans in the audience today: As your president, I will never, ever infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Never, ever,” Trump added. “We don’t want any longer to be ruled by the bureaucrats in Washington or in any other country, for that matter. In America, we are ruled by our citizens. We are ruled by each and every one of you.”

Although defenders of the Second Amendment won big victories in the 2016 elections, Trump warned against becoming complacent in victory.

“Every day we are up against those who would take away our freedoms, restrict our liberties and even those who want to abolish the Second Amendment. We must be vigilant, and I know you are all up to the task,” Trump said. “And to the NRA, I can proudly say, I will never, ever let you down.”