Trump says 'existence of evil' is why law-abiding Americans need Second Amendment

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HOUSTON – Former President Trump traveled to Houston on Friday to offer support for the National Rifle Association and echo the group's mission as it faces pushback from gun control advocates following a deadly school shooting in Texas this week.

Speaking from the George R. Brown Convention Center, Trump addressed NRA members and touted the work his administration did to preserve the Second Amendment during his tenure in the White House.

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Former President Donald Trump speaks at the George R. Brown Convention Center during the NRA annual convention on May 27, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Trump's remarks at the 2022 NRA convention came days after a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead.

"The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens and that is why one of the core missions of the NRA is to train, prepare and equip responsible American men and women with the knowledge and tools they need to defend themselves," Trump said, highlighting efforts from the NRA to enhance gun safety measures.

"The NRA has 125,000 certified instructors," he added. "These are highly trained, very, very capable people. They train an incredible 1,000,000 Americans to be safer. Gun owners ready to act when the situation calls… incredible job."

People walk past signage in the hallways outside of the exhibit halls at the NRA Annual Meeting held at the George R. Brown Convention Center Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Trump said his administration worked to stop the siege on the Second Amendment and told those in attendance at the convention that "those on the left" will soon come for guns of all types.

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"Let's not pretend that those on the left are just talking about limiting one class of gun or one category of ammunition," Trump said. "They're not doing that.

"We all know they want total gun confiscation, we know that this would be a first step," he added. "Once they get the first step, they'll take the second step, the third, the fourth, and then you'll have a whole different look at the Second Amendment, which is, by the way, totally under siege. But we stopped it for four years. We stopped it."

Trump also told the NRA members that "schools should be the single-hardest target in our country" and noted the need to mend the issues surrounding "broken families" and mental health. He also suggested that some teachers should be able to "conceal carry."

NRA Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Wayne LaPierre speaks in Maryland, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Speaking at the convention on Friday, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre pushed back against calls for legislative gun control measures after the shooting in Uvalde.

"If we as a nation were capable of legislating evil out of the hearts and minds of criminals who commit these heinous acts, we would have done it a long time ago," LaPierre said.