This archive report was first published on 28 September 2019.
On a Friday in the Oval Office, President Trump met with Wayne LaPierre, the chief executive of the National Rifle Association, to discuss the possibility of the N.R.A. supporting his re-election campaign and potential gun legislation, according to two people familiar with the meeting.
LaPierre, a key figure in the gun rights movement, has been working to influence the White House since the back-to-back mass shootings in Texas and Ohio in August 2019. He has been trying to move President Trump away from supporting background check measures, which Trump had previously expressed openness to.
Trump has privately expressed concerns about the N.R.A.'s ability to support his 2020 campaign, as it did in 2016 when it spent over $30 million on his election. However, aides have reassured him that the group is in good financial shape, despite internal fighting, investigations, financial strains, and scandal.
During the meeting, LaPierre asked the White House to 'stop the games' over gun control legislation, according to people familiar with the meeting. It was unclear what the N.R.A.'s financial support would look like, but it could potentially involve advertising, as it did in 2016.
