Donald Trump will be speaking at the National Rifle Associations Annual Leadership Forum on May 27
Former President of the United States Donald Trump will be speaking at the National Rifle Association's Annual Leadership Forum on May 27. The conference which is hosted by America's largest Gun Lobby ironically will not allow guns during Mr Trump's address.
The conference is being held under the shadow of a horrific mass shooting that took place earlier this week in an elementary school in Texas where 21 people - 19 students and 2 teachers died.
The National Rifle Association, better known as the NRA, has for many years lobbied against gun reforms gun control laws, as the right to bear arms is enshrined in the American Constitution. Gun ownership is widely a partisan issue with many representatives from the Republican Party against gun reform laws.
According to NPR, the NRA has said that the US Secret Service has taken control of the event during Mr Trump's speech. The Secret Service is prohibiting attendees from having firearms, firearms accessories and knives. Ammunition, laser pointers, pepper spray, toy guns, backpacks and other items also won't be allowed, the report further said.
The Secret Service said in a statement, as reported by NPR, that the agency has the "authority to preclude firearms from entering sites visited by our protectees, including those located in open-carry states."
Open carry states are states in the US that allow licensed citizens to carry guns in public.
The head of the NRA is Wayne LaPierre, who has run the agency for nearly three decades from his position as executive vice president and has become one of Washington's top power brokers.
He claimed a major role in Trump's 2016 election, and Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr are members and regularly participate in NRA events.