35 Burst results for "NRA"
ToddCast Podcast with Todd Starnes
Reuters Photos of Young Kids at NRA Event Slammed As a 'Set-Up'
"So you've got people on the left that are basically accusing the NRA of grooming future mass murderers. And so they sent a Reuters photographer to the NRA and you probably have seen the photograph of this child, it turns out to be 6 year old boy who is pointing a gun directly at a photographer. And I intentionally did not talk about this because I've been down this path long enough, and I know how the mainstream media is. And I suspected there was more to the story, and it turns out there is, in fact, more to the story. The photograph was a complete setup. So here's what went down. There's a guy by the name of Dan eckart, he is a pastor. He brought his two grandsons to the NRA convention. And his 6 year old grandson was holding this gun and in our or a Reuters photographer was sort of lurking around. Never identified themselves as working for the media, but the photographer told the little boy quick look into my camera. And so the boy, the 6 year old did what any 6 year old would do, and he looked, boom, snapped the picture, and the next thing you know, that photo is all over America. Now here's what's fascinating about this. Nobody bothered to ask the child's guardian who happened to be the grandfather who brought the grandson to the event. Nobody asked permission to take that photograph. And when you saw the photograph in your local newspaper or online, the child's face was not blurred, right? And Reuters did that intentionally. So the grandpa is now speaking out and saying, hey, this was all a setup. And an array is upset about this. Reuters says their photographer did nothing wrong, and they stand by the fake photo, but it's a fake photo.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Fox News vs. Dominion: A Very Dangerous Precedent
"Some of you in the audience are not fans of Fox News. Okay, I think the country needs Fox News. I think the country needs real America's voice. I mean, the country needs all these platforms right now, especially talent like Jesse watters, Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson. But let's put that aside. If you accept dominion's claim, that Fox defamed them. And it's hardly a slam dunk, then the amount they sued for was 44 times their annual revenue. This sense a very, very dangerous precedent for conservative and for heterodox media. This is not whether or not you agree with Fox News or disagree with them. It doesn't matter how much you hate Fox News or love Fox News. The reason this case goes as far as it did and reached the ludicrous damage amounts is because of the aggressive lawyers and the accommodating court, but also remember judges read newspapers too. The media was cheerleading for this nonstop. Non every move of this trial was covered by The New York Times, was covered by the Washington Post. And so there was a media cover job. You see, this is not about Fox News. This is about, should we change our legal standards just to try to get Fox and get the conservative media company? This is not about justice. This is about vengeance. The clear theme that arises from the dominion settlement from the Douglas Mackey case from the January 6th witch hunts from the NRA being in a legal quagmire from James O'Keefe having his apartment raided is that the left is fanatical about abusing the legal system to target hobble fine ruin and imprison anyone. They blame for putting Trump in power and that
Mark Levin
Rep. Hank Johnson Calls Republicans 'Jack-Booted Thugs'
"Representative Hank Johnson is at the House judiciary hearing today in Manhattan And let's listen to some of this Cut one go Maga Republicans continue to resist even the most basic reforms like universal background checks If Republicans really wanted to stop we have universal background checks except for the rarest of circumstances That have literally nothing to do with the murder rate in our country I challenge you to go out today go to a gun shop or a gun dealer legitimate gun dealer or an NRA convention legitimate event and purchase a gun and not get a background check Other certain kinds of guns you can buy without a background check You know if you're a collector of Revolutionary War Civil War type weapons and that sort of thing But I'm talking about modern weaponry That goes back a hundred years You won't be able to get any automatic weapons But you will have a background check Go ahead They would be in D.C. right now Working with Democrats to pass common sense gun legislation Instead like Jack booted thugs they've descended on New York City using violent crime as their pretext So Republicans are now Jack booted thugs Jack booted thugs In other words Republicans are like Nazis
Mike Gallagher Podcast
Pres. Trump: This Is Not a Gun Problem, It's a Mental Health Problem
"Trump addressed the NRA convention over the weekend, and he said something pretty simple, something we've been saying all along, something we've said about the state of America in 2023, this is why millions of people appreciate respect and admire Donald J Trump. Our country has been chock full of guns for centuries and there was no talk of massacres of school children until around the year 2000. That's what it really started. They started talking about it. This is not a gun problem. This is a mental health problem. This is a social problem. This is a cultural problem. This is a spiritual problem. Isn't he right? Of course it's a spiritual problem. Of course, we've got people who are mentally ill. But to that point, I would maintain, we've had mentally ill people for as long as we've been on the planet. This is not, I don't know that there's a new mental health crisis in America. I know there's a spiritual crisis in America, but wouldn't a Republican congresswoman from South Carolina agree with what Trump said?
Mike Gallagher Podcast
DeSantis-Aligned Group Publishes Ad on Trump's Gun Policy
"This is a new ad from a desantis aligned political action committee. Attacking Donald Trump. Trump promised in our members he'd have their back. But when Second Amendment rights came under attack, Trump abandoned us and stood with liberal Democrats. You guys have for yourself afraid of the NRA. We have to fight them every once in a while. That's okay. Some of you people are petrified of the NRA. You can't be petrified. They have great power over you people. They have less power over me. I don't need it. I don't what do I need? That is why I have called for red flag laws. Take the firearms first and then go to court. I like taking the guns early. Take the guns first, go through due process. He and I introduced another assault weapons Bill. And you have some very good ideas, Diane, if you could add what you have also, and I think you can into the Bill, show where you're ready. Can you do that? Joe, can you do that? Can you add if you help? Well, no, I'll help, but can you add what Amy and what Diane have can we add them in? We're talking about rules and regulations for purchasing, talking about changing an age from 18 to 21. I mean, I say that it should all be a 21. You do strong background checks. We're getting rid of the bump stocks. Trump cut and run like a coward. Trump the gun grabber doesn't deserve a second chance.
The Trish Regan Show
The NRA Convention Crowd Has Spoken and MAGA Sentiment Prevails
"Big event happening for the NRA so I was proud to be the most bro gun pro Second Amendment president. You've ever had in The White House. I think that's been acknowledged. And with your support in 2024, I will be your loyal friend and fearless champion once again as the 47th president of the United States. This was, as I said, a very, very big deal event. And Donald Trump was warmly received as you could expect. Mike Pence, not so much. Well, hello and RA. That reception on the ground in Indianapolis actually speaks volumes about where the party is overall. I've said, look, if the election were being held today, if we were in the primaries, Donald Trump, hands down, he's got it. It almost makes you wonder why Ron DeSantis might even try. If he doesn't have enough wind behind his back, so to speak, he could actually find himself in a position more similar to Pence because the base could easily turn. 5 38 out with a brand new pool, Donald Trump is like light years ahead of everyone. Now, again, I know it's early, but I don't know how this really changes. He's at 49.3% of the national vote. Governor Ron DeSantis, who has not yet declared he's at 26 point two, so, you know, it's sizable and don't forget Donald Trump when he first declared was not way ahead in the polls. I mean, everything changed, right? So you got to keep that in mind, but Mike Pence, he's struggling. He's at 5.8%. This is going to be hard for Pence, I think, to overcome. And that's why you see that the base is not really with him. And we know why. And it's going to be challenging for him to get them back.
AP News Radio
NRA convention draws top GOP 2024 hopefuls after shootings
"Some of the likely presidential candidates for 2024 made their case before the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Indiana. Former president Donald Trump. I was proud to be the most pro gun pro Second Amendment president. You've ever had in The White House. He says gun rights are under attack by Democrats. They want to take away your guns, while throwing open the jailhouse doors and releasing bloodthirsty criminals. And vowed to reimburse teachers who want to be armed in the classroom. Former vice president Mike Pence support law enforcement protect our schools, institutionalize the obviously mentally ill. Pence receives some scattered booing, presumably by Trump's supporters. While NRA leaders warned politicians not to limit gun access, vice president Kamala Harris noted there have already been 150 mass shootings in the country this year. Gun violence is now the number one cause for death of children in our nation. I'm Jackie Quinn.
America First with Sebastian Gorka Podcast
Jennifer Horn and Jim Hanson Discuss the Problem With Gun Reforms
"You're going to hear a lot of pro Second Amendment talk fret the NRA convention. What do you expect to hear from some of these candidates? There's so much pressure on Republicans to try to embrace gun reform as it's some kind of fix for all the crime that we're seeing. I live in California. We have the strictest gun laws in probably in the country. And we still have crime on the rise. We have murders. We have all of this. It's not helping one bit. No, and I think you can talk about, okay, everybody says, we have to do something. Well, if we have to do something, we have to do something that actually helps. And there are so many bad ideas. So many unconstitutional ideas that it's almost impossible to get anybody to come up with something that actually works. And here's the one thing they don't want to talk about. And you talked about the warlords show, Kurt on that show this week said something important. He said, it's not the guns that are killing people. It's the psychopaths. Why do we now have so many more psychopaths? We don't have more guns while we may have more guns, but we had plenty of guns before in the 1950s say. Why weren't there mass shootings then? It's because we've created a culture where nihilism and anti anxiety drugs run rampant and all of the things that used to keep young males in check are gone and that's where the problem really lies.
AP News Radio
Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings
"The NRA's national convention starts today in Indianapolis. For the second year in a row the National Rifle Association will hold its conference within days of mass shootings in the U.S. last year it was the elementary school shooting in uvalde, Texas. This year, the deadly shootings at a Nashville elementary school and a Louisville Kentucky bank, the three day gathering will include thousands of the NRA's most active members, and is attracting some top Republican presidential candidates and those considering a run. Former president Donald Trump will be speaking and his Secret Service protection means attendees can not have guns at the convention, former vice president Mike Pence will be there and Florida governor Ron DeSantis is speaking through video conference, the NRA calls the convention one of the most politically significant and popular events in the country. I'm John of water
ToddCast Podcast with Todd Starnes
Justin Pearson Compares Himself to a Black Jesus Being Crucified
"Guy comparing himself to black Jesus Christ, crucified on a cross cut 6. Friday, the government decided that my savior Jesus. A man that was innocent of all crimes except fighting for the poor. Fighting for the marginalized pain, but the LGBTQ community fighting for those who are single mothers fighting for those who are asked to shine fighting for those pushed to the river my savior my black Jesus. He was lynched by the government on Friday. And they thought that all hope had been lost. All the outside it rained and it thundered and everybody said everything was open. It was some black women who stood at the cross. It was some black women who watched what the government did to that boy named Jesus. They were witnesses as you have been witnesses to what is happening in the anti democratic state of Tennessee. They were witnesses. To what was going on and I got to tell you, it got quiet on Saturday. Yes, I tell you, it was a sad day on Saturday. Oh, hope seemed to be lost. Representatives with throne out of the state House democracy seemed to be at its end. Seem like that NRA and gun lobbyists might win. But all that was good news for us. I don't know how long this Saturday in the state of Tennessee might last, but all we have good news, folks. We've got good news that Sunday always comes. Resurrection is a promise. And it is a prophecy. It's a prophecy that came out of the cotton fields. It's a prophecy that came out of the lynching tree. It's a prophecy that still lives in each and every one of us in order to make the state of Tennessee the plays that it ought to be and so I'm still got hope because I know we are still here and
Mike Gallagher Podcast
Joe Scarborough Blames Republicans for Nashville Shooting
"I didn't have the ex Republican congressman blaming Republicans for the Nashville shooting on my bingo card. I just didn't. I understand the nature of activists and there are active activists on the right. There are activists on the left, activists aren't typically average Americans. So it's hard to even recognize this type of activism. I want you to hear what Joe Scarborough former Republican congressman said with his wife, you know, grunting affirmation next to her. She's making sound effects and she's, you know, making noises of disgust as he rails against Republicans because we're to blame for what that person in Nashville did to those beautiful people. Listen to this. We now live in a society in 2023 because of Republicans because of the NRA because of the gun manufacturers who make millions and millions of billions of dollars. We now live in a society where the cops are afraid of the convicts. We're former presidents. Former presidents, they make martyrs out of convicts who stormed the United States Capitol. These Republicans are the enemy of the rule of law. Everywhere we look. They're so worried about drag what book our drag show, whatever they do, all of this stupidity. They're so afraid that somebody's going to read a book about Hank Aaron. They're so afraid they're going to read a book on Roberto Clemente, but they're perfectly fine with AR-15s. All over. It's the freaking world. They're sick.
ToddCast Podcast with Todd Starnes
Jeff Berk: Ilhan Omar Should Never Have Been on Foreign Affairs Panel
"Be a good thing to have Ilhan Omar off the farm relations affairs committee. It would be a good thing to have a remove from the committee and we could talk about that you shouldn't have been there in the first place. And why is that, Jeff? She hates the condition of Israel. She has been articulating her hatred of Israel, everything it stands for. Before she took office. I think the real shame is that the members of the congressional progressive caucus, 15% of them are Jewish themselves, continue to keep elevating her and Rashida to lead to these high profile leadership positions, despite the fact that they're so anti Israel, it's a crazy phenomenon. So what sort of work are you guys doing on Capitol Hill to root out these people and to expose them? What we're doing and you're speaking to someone who is a conservative view, I almost ran for the Ted deutch seat and here in Florida. But what we're doing is getting an actual letter rating, no different than the NRA, holding fact based, a letter rating to each sitting Jewish politician on what they are or are not doing to really fight anti semitism. And I could give you a quick example. 6 months ago, Rashida Tlaib makes a big proclamation. I'm sure you remember. This says, hey, if you don't believe that, is the real as an apartheid state like hydro. Then you guys shouldn't really be a progressive. Nadler out of one side of his mouth goes on Twitter and says, doesn't this crazy? I don't agree with you. But silently, in the shadows, he and Jamie Raskin and Steve Cohen, Lois frankel, still voted for her to retain her vice chair of member services student and CPC. These people are scared of the squad. They don't want to be primary again. They don't want to be called out on social media.
Mike Gallagher Podcast
Joe Scarborough: Americans Have to Say 'Enough'
"Iowa yesterday, at a school that I believed he killed three people. Two students were shot dead and a teacher. After our two mass shootings in California today. And so this is this is just this a side news that nobody's going to talk about today. Because we have two mass shootings in California and this is something that was sandwiched between it. And it's coming at such a rapid alarming rate that all of the BS arguments that NRA apologists made ten years ago, 20 years ago, they don't apply anymore, not to middle Americans, not to independence, not to people who don't have a political a political reason to fight this battle. Enough Americans. I've got to be saying enough. Now, again, he's not a dumb guy. What does he mean? Americans have to say enough. Well, I say enough. I say enough to men who stabbed their wives to death, I say enough to girlfriends who poisoned their boyfriends. I say enough to people who run their loved ones over with a car. I say enough to shoplifting, I say enough to looting. I say enough to burning a building down. I say enough to cancer. I say enough to go down the list. There's a lot of bad things in the world. How do you want to fix it? Because the problem is, and the truth is, not everything is fixable.
The Dan Bongino Show
Cassy Garcia Predicts a Red Wave in South Texas
"So we got a special caller calling in for a quick update What's going on in some of these southern Texas races Cassie Garcia Welcome back to the show Hi Ken I'm so excited to be on with you today on election day Well I'm a little short on time in this segment but you're out there now election day is always a bellwether I loved it I know I used to go out to the polls and love to wave to people here We're going to you can get a real feel for how the day is going to go I saw a ton of like NRA orange cards and stuff I'm going to vote for you on game day What are you hearing out there How are you feeling about this I'm feeling so good I'm hitting all the poll sites and I'm seeing runway signs and cassian voted for you We need to save our country or district and I'm just overwhelmed with excitement right now from the people on the ground right now They are ready for a change and they are ready for a change And I think we are going to see the red wave tonight here in South Texas
The Dan Bongino Show
Kelly Tshibaka: Lisa Murkowski Works Directly Against Alaskans
"How are you feeling about tomorrow I know internal polls every everybody says great internal polls but your candidacy is different Everybody tells me they've got great internal polls I'm people who are not necessarily conservative or kind of swampy but know me from prior runs are like hey she's given Lisa Murkowski real trouble So how are you feeling I'm feeling excited The polls on the ground here in Alaska is electric Murkowski's approval rating is as low as Joe Biden's across anchorage which is about half the population of the state That's our urban area Our urban areas tend to be more blue But you've got to work to have an approval rating as low as Joe Biden's And in Alaska Biden's approval rating is much lower than it is in the rest of the U.S. We are a state that voted for president Trump twice by double digits So up here we know that she's become a D.C. insider She'll do whatever the people in Washington D.C. want her to do which is directly against the interests of the people of Alaska She says that she cares about energy and energy development but then she's the one who cast the tie breaking vote for Biden's radical environmentalist Deb haaland to be our interior secretary And as dove Holland who's spearheading the energy annihilating agenda against America and shut down fossil fuel production killing our energy industry she says she cares about your gun rights but she's the one who colluded with Joe Biden to vote for red flag laws and end up killing our Second Amendment rights twice this year She did that She lost her NRA endorsement as a result She says one thing in Alaska but then she does the exact opposite in Washington D.C. And that's why alaskans are saying everywhere It's time for a change whether they're Democrat or Republican we have a lot of common sense Democrats in Alaska and they just don't line up with Joe Biden or his chief enabling officer that CEO Lisa Murkowski
Bloomberg Radio New York
"nra" Discussed on Bloomberg Radio New York
"At Bloomberg dot com and the Bloomberg business app This is Bloomberg radio Now a global news update The president and First Lady Joe Biden will travel to ivaldi Texas tomorrow The president and First Lady believe it is important to show their support for the community during this devastating time and to be there for the families of the victims White House press secretary karine Jean Pierre said the bidens will grieve with the community during this devastating time She also called the tragedy horrific The bidens are set to meet with community leaders religious leaders and the families of the victims The NRA convention in Houston draws hundreds of protests just days after that mass shooting about 500 protesters stood outside the convention center Friday with many holding up photos of the victims from the Yuval di school shooting some of the protesters shouting NRA go away The NRA is the nation's biggest gun lobby and a major donor to politicians Reuters says videos of Friday's convention showed the auditorium to be about half full Texas governor Greg Abbott says he's not planning to roll back any gun laws because of the shooting Abbott told reporters Friday that the new constitutional carry law was not a factor in this week's shooting at rob elementary that law allows people to carry guns without a license to carry An Australian company is preparing to send over 27 million 8 ounce bottles of infant formula to the U.S. Jim Forbes has more The FDA announced Friday that the company bubs will send a variety of infant formulas some are ready for transport while some are being produced in the coming weeks and months This comes as part of operation fly formula a massive effort to fly formula from different parts of the world to solve America's baby formula shortage The Biden administration has already overseen two flights that brought approximately 1.5 million 8 ounce bottles to the U.S. I'm Jim Forbes The U.S. forest service says it's responsible for New Mexico's largest wildfire the Santa Fe national forest says the two wildfires in northern New Mexico that merged into one was started by a burn pile I'm Brad Siegel The California state parks division of boating and water ways is asking you to do something before.
Mark Levin
President Trump Honors Uvalde Shooting Victims at NRA Convention
"At 23 And while those he slaughtered are now we've got in heaven he will be eternally damned to burn in the fires of hell As we mourn for so many beautiful victims I know that everyone here joins me in praying for the families who are suddenly missing the brightest light in their lives we see their agony We ask God to ease their suffering and to heal their pain and together we grieve side by side as one great American family
Mark Levin
New Details Emerge About Uvalde School Shooting
"We've now learned that in fact the mayor murder was confronted when he went into the school by an armed guard And they exchanged fire and apparently as reported Ramos ran down a small hallway with short hallway And that's when he barricaded himself into the classroom Where he murdered everybody I mean the 19 children and two teachers And oddly enough last night I told you good lord he shot enough kids to be in a single classroom apparently that's what he did And one of the teachers ran to the window to try and let the kids out and he murdered her So when you have people going around yelling at the Republicans or it's the NRA and the gun law these are very cold people
The Doug Collins Podcast
Larry Keane Describes the National Shooting Sport Foundation
"For our podcast listeners who may, you know, I have them very wide ranging audience some mostly conservative, but not all conservatives are probably gun owners, probably some are not. Some may not know. I mean, they're familiar with the organizations like gun owners of America. NRA, folks like that, let's take a step back a second. Let's talk about national sports shooting federation because I've gotten to know you guys. Know what you do, you're great folks, and especially for the industry part itself. Less scar there and with these ideas of shot show with the administration coming up. What is the foundation of the? Who do you work with? And let's get that foundation and also continue on this conversation. So the national student sports foundation is the firearm ammunition hunting industry sports industries trade association. Our members are and there are over 9000 members are all of the major firearms and ammunition manufacturers you've heard of. You've seen and smaller ones, you may not be as familiar with distributors and dealers, retailers. From the modern pop and the back country road in rural Georgia all the way to the big box corporate retailers like bass pro shop and such. So very broad range of members, everybody that makes something to go in on around or through firearm for hunting, shooting sports, personal protection, so ask that question, well, what's the difference between you guys and say the NRA? And the elevator speech Doug is the dividing line is to check out counter. We represent the industry from the bar stock being delivered to Smith and Wesson to make the firearm to the sell to the consumer after a background check by our retailer somewhere in the United States. And that's really
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"You know it. That's a really good point. You know it's about talking to dozens of people and the main players. They don't primarily focus themselves. About what is the future of the second amendment. What is the future of the nra as an organization. They're really very focused on. What is this mean for me. How do i escape. Blame or avoid responsibility or avoid a tough decision. And that's like one of the defining characteristics of some the most senior national rifle association officials in this in this book and i mean that's really affirming for a lot of the work that i know we in our colleagues do. We'll talk about sort of a disconnect between the top knee executives and the messaging. That's out there and how it's impacting the public in terms of like what's in their best interest in one of the things we love to know after all the research that you've done into understanding the nra is an organization. Where do you think they'll go from here. There's a lot of rumors out there and a lot of speculation. But i'm wondering what you think will as you now. I mean the the new york attorney general. The teasha james is in the middle of the legal effort to try to actually dissolve the national association in its entirety. How that actually would go and whether that will happen as something that will be. That will be determined by the courts or resettlement of some kind in the coming months. So i don't know exactly how that's gonna go. But what has been really interesting to me to see that. The national rifle association right now in terms of its most senior official hasn't made serious changes in the wake of all these accusations and allegations and all this evidence about wrongdoing at the very very top that your organization has very staunchly stood behind in terms of its board of directors has at least staunchly behind law pierre and unless there's some sort of external force that would chip the calculus. It really seems like clean. Lafayette is here to stay and susan on that on the final notes. That that you know. If luckier stay isn't somehow stays this. This will be hit. Florida fund new chapter for them. What if anything do. I mean i'm certainly hoping with the book of What is actually happening within the nra. But you think sort of public awareness has increased or willing crease around. What is actually going on there. I mean like do you. Foresee for example donors way back from the oregon ordinary have certainly the nra's fundraising has really struggled. Since a lot of this information came out and you got think if you're someone who has in the past given in the six figures seven figures to the national rifle association you might well think twice about doing it or at least once reassurances that your money is going to be spent for what you hope it's going to be spent and what's interesting to me. Is that there is a kind of subset of nra members and donors that are revolting. That are trying to change the national. I feel association inside and really struggling to make changes and right now. They're they're on their back foot in terms of the the people who are trying to revolt. I'm wondering to miss. Maybe answer question but do you think if they're successful will that revote make the nra sort of more extreme or will it temporary them. There are all kinds right. This is that like any revolt. it's it's well firstly. It doesn't look like the rivolta succeed that we not. Here's really consolidated a lot of power inside the organization and has the support of the board is by all of the Allegations of corruption. That come out today but among the folks who are trying to change the the national requisition you have your bowl kinds some who are very conservative. Some who are not interested in politics beyond the second amendment. So it's very hard to to to to get to that second order prediction. I don't i don't right now. It looks like unless there's an external force that changes things dramatically the wing beers here to stay. I think it's just. It's definitely something that we're going to have to watch an seriously tip. I cannot thank you enough for coming onto chat with kellyanne nights day and for an absolutely amazing book and once again listeners. It's called misfire inside the downfall of the nra and for a chance to win a copy of this book which is again. You'll be shocked. It's so good. Please read it. All you have to do is click on the link and description of this episode explained to you how to enter. Okay wild day. I don't know about you. But between the book and our conversation with tim i feel like i have a much better understanding of inner workings of the nra. I mean i for one. And i think i made this clear. I could not believe how much money was just spent on nonsense. I mean you me and her legs. I'm still processing the disconnect between the nra elites and organizations members. And i mean it just goes to show what we've always been saying brady. Which is that the. Nra doesn't speak for all americans and they certainly do not speak for or represent all gun owners either. Oh one hundred percent. And i've got to think that it's going to be really hard for those who have identified with the nra for decades especially to come to terms organization has become right and so my goal for this week is to really take a long look at the exact support in what they do and to make sure that you know. I'm not being. I'm not being grafted. And also too i think to just sort of like renew our drive here to make sure that gun owner gun violence survivor voices are being accurately represented. Yeah that's a good one. Then my goal is to continue to elevate the voices of the majority of americans who support commonsense regulations and safety practices because as we can see wayne and his buddy certainly have no interest in keeping the public's best interests at heart so we can do that. What is your podcast. The susa gonna touch with us here at red balloon brady text message simply caller texas at four eight zero seven four four three four five two with your questions concerns ideas. Whatever kelly neier standing by. Thanks for listening as always. Brady's life saving work in congress. The courts in communities across the country is made possible. Thanks to you for more information on brady or how to get involved in the fight against gun beilin. Please like and subscribe to the podcast. Get in touch with us at brady. United dot org oral on social at radi buzz be brave and remember take action not type..
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"For everyone right. Is that there. Were if there's a lot here is there's a few board members at the very top probing paid but you really lay out when you interview a lot of members and staffers who exited you know after the nra's response to sandy hook apartment where we love your doubles down with the good guy with a gun sort of mythos that they create you know that we are teachers win when that kind of goes down on people start leaving you. They detail folks were there like workplace. That's like all of these very stressful very broken fiefdoms with like moldy offices and just incredible long hours incredibly low pay and co workers like actively fighting with one another and so it's a very. It seems the way you describe it as an exceptionally dysfunctional place to to exist with perks. If you can get to the very very top but everyone else that it's it's certainly was. I wouldn't call it. I don't know if you'd call it a labor of love the you know the. Nra's is a two-tiered organisation for your average person. It's like they work at a nonprofit right The cut off the coffee. You gotta stay at the best western. You're gonna travel coach for you. Know for the vast majority of people who work there and then for the executives and certain board members that are favored for for a long period of time it was the private jets thousands of dollars in meals extravagant clothing and there was a real break between those two. The nra is an organization. Like we're talking about the beginning you'd think it's powerful all this money scarlet this influence but inside. It's just totally dysfunctional run. It's got all these fiefdoms with warring warlords and they're all arguing with one another. What this book does is kind of takes you into each of these systems. What do they mean. What is you know how how did. Nra headquarters fight with its lobbyists. Why were there was their continuing source of tension. Why did the executives and those who actually did the did the work at the desert that are actually doing the work at at the. What was there so much tension between those groups of people and so what we do. Is we take you behind the scenes and show you what was happening inside the organization in you actually broke one of the stories that is sort of emblematic of this dysfunction in the victims in february of two thousand seventeen. And that's the story of maria bettina russia and the nra. So i'm wondering if possible if you could just give us sort of short version of what that story is in in. How does that. Sort of convey this dysfunction if it is possible to give short firm. We'll let me try to simplify it as much as possible. But the bottom line was the the nra in twenty thirteen and two thousand. Fifteen sent delegations to moscow and you might think listen organization basing the united states that is dedicated to advancing gun rights in america. Why would they send a delegation to moscow. And that was the question that i asked when i first got into this story. What are the connections between this Russian citizens Patina and the national rifle association. And why would it. Why would benefit the national rifle association to be associated with her and there were a lot of questions about how we're weather. Rambo tina was Was helping the national rifle association. But what you find in the end. Is that the national rifle. Association repeatedly went out of its way to help. Maria bettina was later charged with being a foreign agent of the russian government without properly being registers. It just it seems. And i highly recommend that everyone read it because it was one of those things where every time i kept going i was like you can't like it. It reads very much like if it were. I believe in fact an remember is a comment like if it were. Tom clancy novel. You'd like this one's a little bit too far. This is a little bit so little trophy. But it's real. And i think what got laid out reading wells that there is a comedy of errors happening within the nra of just things of assistance getting money for their kids weddings and constant permanent lights. And then also. Rascal flats is brought it for concert. And then it's just it's just all of these levels of sword of graft that if you're a nonprofit you cannot participate. They're just things you for listening to were. There are very strict rules on when a nonprofit can spend its money on and how that money can be spent and when you do spend money. There are very strict reporting mechanisms for it. You can't just sort of decide to buy two hundred bottle of wine several days a week. Not how it shakes out. And that certainly wasn't the image that i think. Nra donors either true for the most part. I think very few flying private jets. Like most americans and shopping on rodeo drive and and you know getting sort of participate in this very fancy lifestyle. And i i think what what i mean just to kind of look at the narrative arc at the book. I mean this book takes you from the ascendancy. A wayne lapierre in the nineties through to Through the sandy hook which was a real turning point in this whole conversation about the nights in america you know and the nra's strategy post sandy hook which was to double down on the conservatives culture war And the decision to be be less interested in bipartisanship and much more interested in being in focusing on their conservative and republican base and what that means when donald trump is elected president and fundraising dramatically declines in such a way that some of the corruption which was fine during a time of plenty is now exposed. And that's that's what. I'm hoping to do with his book which is to show readers. Hey what really happened behind the scenes what was happening inside these close rooms in to that in one of the things that i know many of our listeners familiar with because we were sort of filing this story as it broke. But there's the lawsuit against the nra brought by the new york attorney general latisha james and the nra attempted to dodge it by filing bankruptcy on a new. Cover this in detail in misfire. And so. I'm wondering with anything surprising that you uncovered about lawsuit and the attempted died while researching the suit and the countersuit of interesting stuff. In there i mean for me. The book is a human drama right. It's about friends turning on friends and whether people were really friends to begin with i mean the the nra as you know has been in pretty intense litigation with akron acquaint which was like their right hand ad firm for decades and decades and decades and so they declared war on the people with all with all the knowledge of the dirty secrets within this the national rifle association so that all spills out not just in the litigation and in the complaint but also in the book that there's there's a lot of stuff that we just didn't know about the national rifle association but that's been tough forcibly pushed the to the surface by a lot of litigation that the national reckless ovation started. It does seem like very humid story because no one no one seems to be at least to me being very worried about you know the nra within within the book. They're very concerned about themselves. As part of yeah very few people. I i.
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"And he originally started the nra as a lobbyist at a lower level obvious moved his way through the organization until he became the ceo over several decades but comes to whether or not he's a good shot all evidence suggests he's not a good shot and not only that is kind of bummbly Nervous scenes. he's he's not someone who who practices as you said firearm safety. He's been known to be distracted. Point firearms in the direction of people. Obviously that black people he is not one of the people that does seem like a sort of very intentionally came into their position at the nra. And you're the first person i've ever read. That really has gone into sort of a profile. Individual is wins wife susan and sort of the role that she holds and has held the nra even though she's obsessively volunteer member you know. And i wonder if we can. We can even sort of dig into what you know. The first lady of the nra like what her position is. Because that was. I think one of the most striking things about the book for me is just learning about this The intense amount of power. That she wielded. Because i we were profit. I'm not allowed to hold the credit cards. Have access to the to the to the amex. So certainly my husband would it. You know and so. I think this very interesting i mean i think one of the things about yeah i mean i think one of the things about you know we when you ask the question. How do we get where he is. We talked about you know just as you seconds ago about how. He can't fumble backwards into various promotions until he was at the very top the organization and the thing about wayne is that that he's extremely malleable. That one of the reasons that he is at the top of the organizations because a lot of people feel like they can take advantage of him. They that if you can hector hammond off that you if you can go up to him in demand what you want from him and say loudly enough and repeat yourself long enough. He'll eventually give into one. And that's one of the reasons. Actually why there are so many sweetheart deals with various vendors the organization has had over the years Susan lapierre is very different from her husband way in that she is decisive and she is ambitious and she is she. She knows what she wants and is very direct in a way. That wayne up here is not and now. She doesn't have a formal paid title. Like you mentioned. He doesn't have formal take title at the organization but She does run though when his leadership. Which is this big collection of high dollar donors and she runs it ruthlessly that she runs his organization of Of nra women donors and what she does is she. She runs it as an organization that is really dependent on loyalty in. There are parts of the book which they get together and they demand loyalty that the current regime might generation is very interesting organization but a lot of the senior officials and top folks in the in the organization are the way they are because it's a critical and central part of their identity to be important at the nra and for susan her image. Her image is really wrapped up in being an important part of the nra. Us identified some of the major players that we need to understand. So we've got wayne. We've got susan and then we have this advertising agency akron mclean. Can you unpack their role in all of what we're talk about and how they contributed to our as current situation. Also ackerman is the time. Pr firm that has shaped the nra's image over the last few decades. Now they've undergone a very kind of messy divorce with the nra in the last couple years but traditionally when you think about the nra's pr campaigns and their pr efforts over the years ackerman mcqueen is what's been behind the in large part the ascendancy of the national rifle association as a powerful or a group in america dave shaped the image. They shaved the message there for strategic communications there for crises. When way up here over the last few decades has needed help he has tended to turn time and time again the acronym mcqueen which from for many years was run by this guy named angus acquaint. Well and it seems like in many ways to that. A lot of what eventually gets lapierre's entering. Raleigh trouble is trying to sort of be angus in some ways. Like you know trying to wear the same very expensive suits and put together the same sort of you know high flight lifestyle. Although you lay out in the bucket seems like here really enjoyed his private flights about seem to be a fond. There's been a mass shooting. I gotta get to a yacht you know was not something i ever thought i would hear somebody say but it comes out. Yeah i think that you know wing. Appear is the head of a nonprofit organization and there are limits on what you can do as the head of a nonprofit organization. Ns mcqueen is the head of a for profit pr consulting firm and he's a very flashy guy very snappy dresser hyon clothing private jets that was just kind of a part of the way part of the way angus macqueen lift his life and wayne lapierre became very close with eggs. Mclean over the years he saw this said. Why can't i have a part of that too. And that's one of the big reasons for you know for the scandal that i'm sure a lot of your listeners have heard about which is about private jets. Extravagant neal's trips to europe yachts thousands of dollars worth of hair and makeup things like that. Like all of that kind of stems from the latter is kind of laying over at the people across the table from them when they're having dinner saying why can't we live that lifestyle to at least it certainly seems that way. That's how that all developed because wayne originally could not you know in the ninety s you had talked to way lapeer. It'd be very sloppy dresser on shine shoes walking around awkwardly on capitol hill as an as a junior level nra lobbyists and he didn't seem to care for fancy suits or lavish meals. And now you look at today and you see that a lot of the things that he had from were also thanks to clean. Have one of the things that strikes me too. I wanna because i'm sure most of our listeners. Obviously if you're listening to nonviolence prevention podcasts. I'm sure you're sort of aware of sort of the sermon. Drug has happened over the last especially last like four or five years with the nra but one of the things that really struck me in reading your work to is that it's not like this is not. The nra was party time central.
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"I'm jay jay and i'm kelly. Red balloon brady Today we're digging into a story that has been the headlines a lot in twenty twenty one and that's the misbehavior and machination of the national rifle association. Yeah just can't seem to stay out of the news on soda. Really cover everything that's been going on with them or joined by someone who has been researching and writing stories on gun violence. The gun lobby for so long. Journalist tim mack. Yay and tim join us this week to discuss his new book misfire inside the downfall. The nra which the wild blistering expose of the national rifle association. So my name is kim. Mac and on the washington invest who correspondent for npr. So what that means is that i do a lot of punahou investigations and you know one of the matters that i've been looking into for a long time. Is the national lifeless issue in. The book got started a few years ago with some reporting that i did about maria patina or we can talk a little bit more about that later. But she's the person who got charged with being a russian agent and one of the things she was trying to do in the united states was that she was getting in tight with. Nra officials in other words trying to infiltrate the nra as a way to exercise plo power. And that's kind of that. Was that was kind of my introduction to the national rifle association. One thing led to another and here. I am writing a book about the inner workings of the organization. So so the book itself is is what happened behind the scenes. What happened in the conference rooms. What happened inside. Enter each queue. What happened in various places where this story about. How gum policy was determined and all this drama about the clouds. The nra all developed a less decade. And i think for listeners. Who may go like. Oh look look at son's really serious or stodgy. I were shocked by how this really is a book. All about the chaos. The nra seems to be like you think of it is being this big monolithic organisation. Or at least. I do it when it turns out that is that is not things are not okay inside inside the organization. Yeah the national rifle. Association has kind of been a black box to a lot of outside observers. Right there have not been a lot of folks who have been able to peek behind the curtain. See who are these people who is wayne lapierre. What is his personality. What are his course. is he. Competent is he. Incompetent is the courageous is a cowardly. There have been folks who have really been able to penetrate pass that first layer behind the press releases and the the pr to show what the organization is like on the inside. And when i started you know reporting and researching on the organization. You're right. I mean it's a behemoth right. It's it raises hundreds of millions of dollars every year. And so you think oh well they must be capable of all sorts of things they must be running you know xyz programs and they must be doing it with this kind of ferocious efficiency but when you kind of look inside the organization you see that there's a lot of bungling there's a lot of corruption. There's a lot of almost comedic incompetence Inside the organization as kind of developed over the last decade. In to your point about you know we may hear of these mythical figures somewhat mythical figures like wayne lapierre but we don't really know who they are or what they're really like. Could you talk a little bit about who wayne lapierre really is and why is he so important to what's happened with the nra will. So i found really interesting about wayne is that you get a portrait of him as as a human in this in this book that until now it's all been methology you you've probably seen images of him looking like a greek god at nra conventions and things like that but very few people have Have been able to report out who he is as a person and you find that. He's a very absent minded indecisive person a person who loves the perks of running a multi million dollar nonprofit organization but also someone who kind of get the sense doesn't wanna be there right that he kind of fell backwards into repeated promotions. The organization has somehow woken up one day and he realizes i'm in charge of the national rifle association arguably one of the most powerful political organizations all of america. And you see that he. He takes this position not with the greek degree of responsibility but also with the large degree of self. Pity what does this mean for me when a mass shooting happens. That's like one of the themes of the book is that whenever there are really big events like a mass shooting wayne will react by going to hide her by saying this is gonna be terrible for me personally and you see the book paints a portrait of man in a very different way than we've been led to believe through the various. Pr pushes that have made him out to be. Some sort of almost god like figure. At the head of the second amendment movement in the united states will end. It doesn't based on the research that you did. It doesn't even seem like he's a man who seems to enjoy shooting or firearms or sports shooting or anything like that. It seems like he's almost sort of. There's numerous stories that one. He doesn't really practice firearm safety. To begin with and to the it doesn't seem like it's an area of interest for him so you're right it does seem like he kind of woke up one day and went. Oh my god. I run the. Nra they used to be a joke at nra. Each cue that those who misbehaved or did then meet their quota or whatever Would their punishment would be to go hunting with wayne or to go shooting with way. You really get the sense from people who know him really really well. That wing does not enjoy shooting at all. It does not enjoy the sport of it. Doesn't enjoy talking about guns. Or the various features a lot of people in america who enjoy collecting firearms sesa rising firearms shooting hunting and weighing up here from everything that i know about him. Just doesn't enjoy any of those things. He enjoys the politics of a whip count. He enjoys how does legislation get passed and he originally started the nra as a lobbyist and as a lower level obvious and kind of moved his way through the organization until he became the ceo over several decades but when it comes to whether or not he's a good shot all evidence suggests he's not a good shot and not only that he's kind of bummbly. He's he's nervous. He's he's. He's not someone who who practices as you said firearm safety. He's been known to be distracted and point firearms in the direction of people. Obviously a flag people. He is not. I think the bottom line is he's not he's not a particularly competent firearm user owner. You really get the sense from people who know him really really well. That wing does not enjoy shooting at all. It does not enjoy the sport of it doesn't enjoy talking about guns or the various features are a lot of people in america joy collecting firearms successor in firearms shooting hunting. And wayne up here. Everything that i know about him just doesn't enjoy any of those things he enjoys. The politics of it he enjoys whip counts. He enjoys how does legislation passed.
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"Explain to you how to enter. Okay while jj. I don't know about you. But between the book and our conversation with tim i feel like i have a much better understanding of inner workings of the nra. I mean i for one. And i think i've made this clear. I could not believe how much money was just spent on nonsense. I'm yet me too. And and i'm still processing the disconnect between the nra elites and the organization's members. And i mean it just goes to show what we've always been saying brady was that the nra doesn't speak for all americans and they certainly do not speak for or represent all gun owners cyber. Oh one hundred percent. And like i've got to think that it's going to be really hard for those who have identified with the nra for like decades especially to come to terms with what the organization has become rate and so my goal for this week is to really take a long look at the exact support and what they do and to make sure that you know. I'm not being. i'm not being crafted. An also too. I think to just sort of like renew our drive here to make sure that like gun owner and gun violence survivor. Voices are being accurately represented. Yeah that's a good one. Then my goal is to continue to elevate the voices of the majority of americans who support comments gun regulations and safety practices because as we can see wayne and his buddies certainly have no interest in keeping the public's best interest at heart. So we can do that. What is your podcast. Now gonna touch with us here Phone text message simply caller texas at four eight zero seven four four three four five. Two thoughts questions concerns ideas. Whatever kelly neier standing by. Thanks for listening as always. Brady's life saving work in congress. The courts in communities across the country is made possible. Thanks to you for more information on brady or how to get involved in the fight against gun violence. Please like and subscribe to the podcast. Get in touch with us at brady. United dot org oral on social at ready buzz. Be brave and remember take action type..
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"Away last year and the nineties through to through the sandy hook which was a real turning point in this whole conversation about gun nights in america and the nra strategy po sandy hook which was to double down on the conservatives culture war And their decision to to be less interested in bipartisanship and much more interested in being it in focusing on their conservative and republican base. And what that means when Donald trump is elected president and fundraising dramatically declines in such a way that some of the corruption which was fine during a time. Plenty is now exposed. And that's that's what. I'm hoping to do with this book which is to show readers. What really happened behind the scenes what was happening inside these clothes rooms in to that in one of the things that i know many of our listeners are familiar with because we were sort of following this story as it broke but there's a lawsuit against the nra brought by The new york attorney general latisha chains and the nra attempted to dodge it by filing bankruptcy A new cover this in detail misfire so wondering was there anything surprising that you uncovered about lawsuit and the attempted dodge while researching the suits and the countersuit. Well there's of interesting stuff in there. I mean for me. The bulk is a human drama right. It's about friends turning on friends and whether people were really friends to begin with i mean the the nra as you know has been in pretty intense litigation with ackerman mcqueen which was like their right hand ad firm for decades and decades and decades and so they declared war on the people with all with all the knowledge. The dirty secrets within this national restless. So that all spills out not just in the litigation and in the but also in the book i that there's there's a lot of stuff that we just didn't know about the national rifle association but that's been tough forcibly pushed to the surface by a lot of this litigation that the national rifle association's started. It does seem like if you're a human story because no one no one seems to be at least to me being very worrying about you know the nra within within the book very concerned about themselves as part of yeah very few people. I i you know that's a really good point. You know. i spoke talking to dozens of people and the main players. They don't primarily focus themselves. About what is the future of the second amendment. What is the future of the nra as an organization. They're really very focused on. What does this mean for me. How do i escape. Blame or avoid responsibility or avoid a tough decision. And that's like one of the defining characteristics of some of the most senior national rightly sociation officials in this in this book. And i mean that's really affirming for a lot of the work that i know We and our colleagues do we'll talk about sort of the disconnect between the top brass executives and the messaging that's out there and how it's impacting the public in terms of like what's in their best interest in one of the things we love to know is after all the research that you've done into understanding the nra is an organization. Where do you think they'll go from here. There's a lot of rumors out there and a lot of speculation. But i'm wondering what you think will as you now. I mean the the new york attorney general. The teasha james is in the middle of legal effort to try to actually dissolve the national association in its entirety. How that actually would go. And whether that will happen is something that will be. That will be determined by the courts or to a resettlement of some kind in the coming months. So i i don't know exactly how that's gonna go but what has been really interesting to me is to see that the national rifle association right now in terms of its most senior official. Hasn't made serious changes in the wake of all these accusations and allegations and all this evidence about wrongdoing at the very top that your organization has very staunchly stood behind in terms of its directors at very staunchly stood behind way law pierre. And unless there's some sort of external force that would shift the calculus It really seems like lobby here to stay. And so on that on the final note for that you know if luckier stays in it somehow stays this. This isn't will. Maybe they hit florida chapter for them. Why if anything do you. I mean. I'm certainly hoping with that. A lot of Learn what is actually happening within the nra but do think sort of public awareness has increased will increase around. What is actually going on there. I mean linked you foresee for example donors pulling back from the even more than they already have will certainly the nra's fundraising has really struggled. Since a lot of this information came out. And you got to think if you're someone who has in the past given in the six figures seven figures to the national rifle association you might well think twice about doing it or at least want some reassurances that your money is going to be spent for what you hope it's going to be spent and what's interesting to me is that there is a subset of nra members and donors the that are kind of revolting. That are trying to change the national. I feel association the inside and really struggling to make changes and right now. They're they're on their back foot in terms of the the people who are trying to revolt. I'm wondering to miss. Maybe an question but do you think if they're successful. Will that revolt make the nra sort of more extreme or will it temperate them. They're all kinds right. This is the like like any revolt. It's it's well firstly. It doesn't look like the rivolta succeed that we not parents really consolidated a lot of power inside the organization and has the support of the board despite all of the allegations of corruption. That come out today but among the folks who are trying to make a change the reckless. And yet you've all kinds some who are very conservative. Some who are not interested in politics beyond the second amendment. So it's very hard to to to get to that second order prediction. I i don't. I don't right now. It looks like unless there's an external force that changes things dramatically the wind beers here to stay. I think is just. It's definitely something that we're going to have to watch Seriously i cannot thank you enough for coming onto. Chat with kellyanne is today and for an absolutely amazing book and once again listeners. It's called misfire. The downfall of the nra if his bookshelves on the second of october. Which is this saturday for a chance to win a copy of this book which again you'll be shocked. It's so good. Please read it. A all you have to do is click on the link description of this episode. That will.
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"America. Dave shape the image. They've shaved the message. They are there for a strategic communications there for crises. When wayne up here over the last few decades has needed help he has tended to turn time and time again the acronym mcqueen which for for many years was run by this guy named angus acquaint. Well and it seems like in many ways to that a lot of what eventually gets lapierre's entering raleigh trouble is at least as trying to sort of be angus in some ways like trying to wear the same very expensive suits and put together the same sort of you know high flying lifestyle. Although you lay on the bucket seems like lapeer really enjoyed his private flights about seem to be you know a fond. There's been a mass shooting. I gotta get to a yacht you know is not something i ever thought i would hear. Somebody say it comes out. Yeah think that you know wing. My hair is the head of a nonprofit organization and there are limits on what you can do. As the head of a nonprofit organization anka's mcqueen is the head of a for profit. Pr consulting firm. And he's a very flashy guy very snappy dresser hyphen clothing private jets. That was just kind of a part of the way part of the way eggs mcqueen lift his life and wayne lapierre became very close with Over the years he saw this and said why. Can't i have a part of that too and that's one of the big reasons for you. Know for the the scandal. That i'm sure a lot of your listeners have heard about which is about private jets. Extravagant meals trips to europe yachts thousands of dollars worth of hair and makeup. That like all of that kind of stems from the lapierre's kind of looking over at the people across the table from them when they're having dinner saying why can't we live that lifestyle to at least it certainly seems that way. That's how that all developed because wayne originally could not you know in the nineties. You talked away lapeer. It'd be very sloppy dresser. Une shine shoes walking around awkwardly on capitol hill as an end as a junior level. Nra lobbyist and he didn't seem to care for fancy suits or lavish meals. And now you look at today and you see that. A lot of the things that he had from self were also thanks to angus mcqueen. One of the things that strikes me too. I wanna because i'm sure most of our listeners. Obviously listening to violence prevention podcast. I'm sure you're sort of aware of sort of the sermon drug. That's happened over the last especially last like four or five years with the nra one of the things that really struck me in reading your work to is that it's not like this is. The nra was party time central for every one right. It's that there were if there's a lot of years there's a few board members at the very top groping paid but you really lay out when you interview a lot of members and staffers who exited after the response to sandy hook in portland where you know we love your doubles down with the good guy with a gun sort of mythos that they create teachers when when that kind of goes down and people start leaving you they detail folks were there like workplace. That's like all of these very stressful very broken fiefdoms with like moldy offices and just incredibly long hours for incredibly low pay you know co workers like actively fighting with one another and so it's a very. It seems that way you describe it as an exceptionally dysfunctional place to you to exist with perks if you can get to the very very top but for everyone else that it's it's certainly was. I wouldn't call. I don't know if you'd call it a labor of love. The you know the nra is is is a two-tiered organisation right for your average person. It's like they work at a nonprofit The cut off the coffee. You gotta stay at the best western. You're gonna travel coach for you. Know for the vast majority of people who work there and then for the executives and certain board members that are favored for for a long period of time it was the private jets thousands of dollars in meals extravagant clothing and there was a real break between those two. The nra is an organization like we're talking about the beginning. You think it's powerful all this money all this influence but inside it's totally dysfunctionally run. It's got all these fiefdoms with warring warlords and they're all arguing with one another. What this book does takes you into each of these chiefdoms. What do they mean. What is you know how did how did. Nra headquarters fight with its lobbyists. Why were there was their continuing sorts of tension. Why did the executives and those who actually did the did the work at Those that are actually doing the work at that. The what was. There's so much tension between those groups of people and so what we do. Is we take you behind the scenes and show you what was happening inside the organization in you actually broke one of the stories that sort of emblematic of this dysfunction. In the victims in february of two thousand seventeen and that's the story of maria boutin. Ah russia and the nra and so. I'm wondering if possible if you could just give us sort of a short version of what that story is in in. How does that. Sort of convey this dysfunction if it is possible to give a short forum. We'll let me try to simplify it as much as possible. But the bottom line was the the nra in twenty thirteen in two thousand. Fifteen sent delegations to moscow and you might think listen organization basically united states that is dedicated to advancing Gun rights in america. Why would they send a delegation to moscow. And that was the question that i asked when i first got into this story. What are the connections between this Russian citizen were Tina and the national rifle association. And why would it. Why would benefit the national rifle association to be associated with her. And you know there were a lot of questions about how or whether rambo tina was Was helping the national rifle association. But what you find in the end is that the national rifle association repeatedly went out of its way to help out. Maria bettina was later charged with being a foreign agent of the russian government without properly being registered. It just it seems. And i highly recommend that everyone read it because it was one of those things where every time i kept going i was like. You can't like eat it. It reads very much. Like if it were and i believe in fact an remember the comment like if it were. Tom clancy novel. You'd be like this one's a little bit too far. This is a little bit zero trophy. But it's real. And i think what got laid out really well is that there is a comedy of errors happening within the nra of just things of assistance. Getting money for their kids weddings and And then also. Rascal flats is brought in for a concert. And it's just it's just all of these levels of sort of graft that if you're a nonprofit you cannot participate in things you for listening familiar. There are very strict rules. On what a nonprofit can spend money on and how that money can be spent and when you do spend money. There are very strict reporting mechanisms for it. You can't just sort of decide to buy two hundred bottle of wine several days a week like that's not how it shakes out and that certainly wasn't the image that i think. Nra donors regretting either true for the most part. I think very few flying in private jets. Like most americans shopping on rodeo drive and getting sort participate in this very fancy lifestyle and i think what what i mean just to kind of look at the narrative arc the book. I mean this book takes you from the ascendancy.
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"That have made him out to be. Some sort of almost god like figure. At the head of the second amendment movement in the united states will end. It doesn't based on the research that you did. It doesn't even seem like he's a man who seems to enjoy shooting or firearms or sports shooting or anything like that. It seems like he's almost sort of. There's numerous stories that one. He doesn't really practice firearm safety. To begin and to the it doesn't seem like it's an area of interest for him so you're right it does seem like he kind of woke up one day and went. Oh my god. I i run the nra of used to be a joke at nra. Each cue that those who misbehaved or did then you know meet their quota or whatever Would their punishment would be to go hunting with wayne or to go shooting with way. You really get the sense from people who know him really really well. That wing does not enjoy shooting at all. It does not enjoy the sport of it. Doesn't enjoy talking about guns or the various features. There are a lot of people in america who enjoy collecting firearms. Sesa rising firearms shooting hunting. And wayne up here from everything that i know about him. Just doesn't enjoy any of those things. he enjoys. the politics of it he enjoys whip counts. He enjoys how does legislation get passed and he originally started the nra as a lobbyist and as a lower level obvious and kind of moved his way through the organization until he became the ceo over several decades but when it comes to whether or not he's a good shot all evidence suggests he's not a good shot and not only that he's kind of bummbly. He's he's nervous. He's he's he's not someone who who practices as you said firearms safety. He's been known to be distracted and point firearms in the direction of people. Obviously and flagged people. He is not. I think the bottom line is he's not he's not a particularly competent firearm user owner. You really get the sense from people who know him really really well. That wink not enjoy shooting at all does not enjoy the sport of it doesn't enjoy talking about. Guns are very features of people in america who enjoy collecting firearms sesa rising firearms shooting hunting and weighing up here for everything that i know about him just doesn't enjoy any of those things he enjoys. The politics of it enjoys whip count. He enjoys how does legislation get passed and he originally started the nra as a lobbyist and as a lower level obvious kind of moved his way through the organization until he became the ceo over several decades but when it comes to whether or not. He's a good shot all evidence suggests he's not a good shot and not only that he's kind of bummbly is he's nervous he's he's. He's not someone who who practices as you said firearm safety. He's been known to be distracted and point firearms in the direction of people obviously upset that plank people. He is not one of the people that does seem very intentionally came into their position at the nra. And you're the first person i've ever read. That really has gone into sort of a profile. This individual is wayne's wife susan and sort of the role that she holds and has helped the nra even though she's obsessively Volunteer member. You know. And i wonder if we can. We can even sort of dig into what you the first lady of the nra like what her position is. Because that was. I think one of the most striking things about the book for me is just learning about this. The intense amount of power that she wielded. Because you know. I can speak for accounting. We were on profit. I'm not allowed to hold the credit cards. Have access to to the to the amex. So certainly my husband. Would you now and so i think this is. This is very interesting. I think one of the things about. Yeah i mean i think one of the things about you when you ask the question. How do we get where he is. We talked about you know just a few seconds ago about how. He kind of fumbled backwards into various promotions until he was at the very top the organization and the thing about wayne is that that he's extremely malleable. That one of the reasons that he is at the top of the organizations because a lot of people feel like they can take advantage of him. They that if you can hector him an off that you see if you can kind of go up to him and demand what you want from him and say loudly enough and repeat yourself long enough. He'll eventually give into what you want. And that's one of the reasons. Actually why there. Assuming sweetheart deals with various vendors the organization has had over the years Susan lapierre is very different from her husband wayne in that she is decisive and she is ambitious and she is she. She knows what she wants and is very direct in a way. That wayne up here is not and now. She doesn't have a formal paid title. Like you mentioned. He doesn't have formal title at the station by at. She does run though women's leadership. Which is this big collection of high dollar donors and she runs it ruthlessly that she runs his organization of Nra women donors and what she does is she. She runs as an organization that is really dependent on loyalty in we. There are parts that book which they get together. They demand loyalty that. The current regime might generate is of very interesting organization but a lot of the senior officials. Top folks in the in the organization are the way they are because it's a critical in central part of their identity to be important at the nra and for susan her image her image is really wrapped up in being an important part of the nra. You've identified some of the major players that we need to understand. So we've got wayne. We've got susan and then we have this advertising agency ackerman mcqueen. Can you unpack their role in a whole of what we're going to talk about. And how they contributed to the nra's current situation. Also ackerman is the longtime pr firm that has shaped the nra's image over the last few decades. Now they've undergone a very kind of messy divorce with the nra in the last couple of years but traditionally when you think about the nra's pr campaigns and their pr efforts over the years ackerman mcqueen is what's been behind the large part the ascendency of the national rifle association as powerful or group in.
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"Hey i'm jay. Jay and i'm kelly and together co-hosts here ra- bloomberg brady welcome. Welcome everybody and we're so happy to be here and happy that you're with us for our alleging view the episode same vibe here and yet that's wild. Crime has gone so quickly. I told you this guy. But just i cannot tell you how much during this every single week has meant to be. It's a huge privilege. And i honestly i think i had the best job in the world and that's super because of all of you who listen and every week join us in the fight against gun violence. So i was the best job ever that i hope goes away. That is the paradox of working in Gdp in i mean. Yeah i kind of weasel my way into this co host slot. And i like you. Jj this is one of my favorite things that i do and i honestly can't believe that i get to do this because we talked to the most amazing people all the time and jj and i often message each other and be like we talked to people who are incredibly inspirational. Who are really reminding us of why we do the work that we do. And why this is so important. And it's a huge privilege and a huge honor every time anyone comes here to tell us their story or share their work with us or their perspective with us. We don't take for granted. Absolutely not although i do i gotta i got to disagree with you. Kelly definitely wasn't always willing to you. Kelly please so unusual that worked out. Okay mutual mutual codependency and slang. I'll take it and someone who i think is so emblematic of just being a fantastic person. Guest someone who. I'm so glad we got one hundred. Fiftieth episode is someone who's been researching and writing stories on gun violence and the gun lobby for so long journalist. Tim mack yes to join us this week to discuss his new book misfire inside the downfall of the nra which is truly wild. It's a blistering expose of the national rifle association. And i think very very helpful to anyone listening who cares about gun violence prevention. So my name is kim mac and on the washington. Investigative correspondent for npr. So what that means is that i do a lot of political investigations and you know one of the the matters that i've been looking to for a long time. Is the national rifle association in had said. The book started a few years ago with some reporting that i did about marie patina or we can talk a little bit more about that later. But she's the person who got charged with being a russian agent and one of the things she was trying to do in the united states was that she was getting in tight with. Nra officials in other words trying to infiltrate the ira as a way to exercise political power. And that's kind of that was four years ago and that was kind of my introduction to the national rifle association one thing led to another and here i am writing a book about the inner workings of the organization. So what the so. The book itself is is what happened behind the scenes. What happened in the conference rooms. What happened inside. Nra each queue. What happened in various places where this story about. How gum policy was determined. And all this drama about the cops. The ira all developed over the last decade and i think for listeners who may go like a book on the internet sounds really serious or stodgy were shocked by how this really is a book. All about the chaos at the nra seems to be like you think of it is being this big monolithic organisation. Or at least. I do when it turns out that is that is not things are not okay inside inside the organization yes. The national rifle association has black box to a lot of outside observers. Right there have not been a lot of folks who have been able to peek behind the curtain and see who are these people like. Who is wayne lapierre. What is his personality. What are his course. Is he competent. Is he incompetent is the courageous is a cowardly there. Haven't been folks who have really been able to penetrate pass that first layer behind the press releases and the pr to show what the organization is like on the inside and when i started reporting and researching on the organization. You're right. I mean it's a behemoth right. It's it raises hundreds of millions of dollars every year. And so you think oh well they must be capable of all sorts of things they must be running you know xyz programs and they must be doing it with this kind of ferocious efficiency but when you kind of look inside the organization you see that there's a lot of bungling there's a lot of corruption. There's a lot of almost comedic incompetence Inside the organization as it kind of developed a decade in to your point about you know we may hear of these mythical figures somewhat mythical figures like wayne lapierre's but we don't really know who they are or what they're really like. Could you talk a little bit about who lapeer really is. And why is he so important to what's happened with nra. What i found really interesting about wayne is that you get a portrait of him as as a human in this in this book that until now it's all been kinda mythology you've probably seen images of him looking like a greek god at nra conventions and things like that but very few people have Have been able to report out who he is as a person and you find that he's a very kind of absent minded Indecisive person a person who loves the perks of running a multi million dollar nonprofit organization but also someone who kind of get the sense doesn't want to be there right that he kind of felt backwards into repeated promotions that the organization has somehow woken up one day and he realizes i'm in charge of the national rifle association arguably one of the most powerful political organizations all of america. And you see that he. He takes this position not with a great degree of responsibility but all almost the large degree of self pity. What does this mean for me when a mass shooting happens. That's like one of the themes of the book is that whenever there are really big events like a mass shooting wayne will react by going into hiding by saying this is gonna be terrible for me personally and you see the book paints a portrait of the man in a very different way than we've been led to believe through the various. Pr pushes.
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"What role have we played. What role could gdp groups be doing to to be better at this. I think the one of one of the challenges is it's almost parallel to what the nra has know the nra as these two sides of the political side in the kind of social and cultural side in. It's hard to divorce those two right so that even if people are experiencing the anare of the grassroots level it still has the specter of this ghetto culture warrior organization looming behind it And you know if you're a gun violence prevention organization you know. It's likely that you're do more than just the education side that you also have the political side in which advocating for certain laws that people may oppose right so You know if everybody not everybody if if you find people who agree that safe storage of firearms is important. How can that work without the specter of and we need a law. That says you have to safely store your firearm or else. Xyz happens right so you know. I don't know that it's possible to completely divorce the political from the educational. You know it's going to be on the educational side that we can find more common ground than on the political side to as retain some of what i think you're getting at with the role that gun by this original groups play on versus the role that quote unquote gun rights groups. Play also has to do with some of these identity issues as well. And i know we've had other guests talk about it. I know you talked about it as well. Just the what is stately in your identity. And i think there's not that there are. There are plenty of people who are rich and and also guns but there are a lot of people who don't own Prevention and that might not be part of their identity and the same way that maybe someone who considers themselves like a gun owner and very much part of dunk culture with habit in that may also explain some of the gaps so anyway that was just something.
Poetic Earthlings
"nra" Discussed on Poetic Earthlings
"Her whole purpose in her whole idea was just to be an entertaining. Sci-fi story moved her guns slow as a snail and floated towards the nightstand. It was one of the first. I by stories that i ever wrote a lot of people. Don't know this about me. But i am a huge john nra purist. I believe that every genre has very specific ways that the readers appreciate it. I don't like to break that. Like for instance in romance. They say you have to have a happy ending if you don't have a happy ending you're like straddling the line of maybe a different john even and so when i wrote emma. The idea wasn't just that she was going to kick this aliens. But one hundred slammed the activation by smell the stench of the mothers breath as they were almost face to face she heard the sound of the catcher as the blind light washed over the or the secret surprise ending was going to be like the biggest thing ever. It was that. I wanted to stay true to what sci-fi is and when you're thinking about it like that you don't think about making emma so feminist in that way it's like i just need emma to embody what a sci-fi character would man woman or any gender that you decide to take..
Red, Blue, and Brady
"nra" Discussed on Red, Blue, and Brady
"Involved but that doesn't mean that there aren't identities that can be closely related to the gun safety issue you know. Children are harmed by gun rights so appealing to parental identities or teacher identities or neighborhood identity neighborhoods are harmed by gun violence. So you know neighborhood. Type identities city type identities can be linked to the gun. Violence issue student identities can be linked to it. I think religious identities can be linked to it as well especially when sometimes mass shootings occurring places of worship in target for your religious groups on so linking the issue at two particular identification. People that are important to them. I think is one way Test rate of increase participation on the issue. By the way. I think gun safety advocates have have done well at the sort of thing in recent years i think the types of of things advocating for right now. We are already happening so i guess the other thing. I would say that when it comes to the federal level it's twofold. It's do the stuff. I just mentioned. And then it's also sort of be patient and wait for an opening basically in which it probably will take unified democratic control government to get this done and also it'll take think sort of forcing democratic politicians to prioritize the issue unfortunately for gun safety advocates. The last two times democrats did get unified control of government they. I inherited the worst recession since the great depression on an away. And then you know. In most recent instance the covid pandemic so you know there might be listeners. Who who disagree with us. But i think it's hard to blame the biden administration so far for prioritizing figuring out the pandemic relative to other issues but applying pressure to politicians. Who are is that. The prioritize particular issues is important. I appreciate so much you you bringing your expertise and your attention not just on our podcast but to this area so again for everyone links to your book earned the description of the episode. I really really hope that they go. Check it out and certainly we hope to have you back on again. so thank you again matthew. So generally our moment of levity involves me horrifying kelly. But today's since i'm flying solo. I'm just going to be horrifying all of your listeners. And you have no choice but to listen to me so this past weekend in missouri governor. Mike parsons sign. Legislation called the quote second amendment preservation. Act that declared all federal gun laws past present and future invalid the state now. What does that mean practically while this bill if if followed allows for a fifty thousand dollar lawsuit against anyone who knowingly acts to deprive missouri citizen of their second amendment rights even if that action is consistent with federal or state law so that includes for example missouri. Police who may be seizing weapons following a quarter. This bill is particularly shocking as according to the givers law center missouri currently ranks among the ten worst states. For gun us. Now yes in many ways. This is just a publicity stunt. The governor technically doesn't have the authority to attack federal law but it is terribly concerning both in its messaging and in the fact that now officers in missouri will have to choose between following state or federal law. Finally in a news this week we unfortunately have to share reports of more mass shootings. It seems like these are happening so quickly. I can't keep up now over the last week. In austin texas thirteen people were injured and one killed after two individuals under the age of seventeen began firing into a crowd after a dispute. Police stated that most of the folks who were shot were just innocent bystanders. Who didn't know the shooters in west. Salem ohio thirty three year old man was killed and five. People were injured when intoxicated patron drove super recklessly into the parking lot of race track and then opened up fire on the crowd. Meanwhile there were shootings and savannah. Cleveland in chicago almost back to back over the weekend leaving six people dead in another thirty eight injured of those in savannah georgia. A twenty year. Old man was killed and seven others wounded in a friday night. Shooting on an individual in a car just began shooting into a busy apartment complex. In cleveland ohio. Seven people were shot during a high school graduation party and in chicago. Four people were killed and four wounded at a home. In the city's inglewood neighborhood after an argument escalated. Now these incidents of course do not encompass all of the gun violence. That occurred this past week. But i think just really identify what folks who work in this area are dealing with and what communities are dealing with on a daily basis now to try to end with a bit of good news not gonna send you off into the weekend all with nothing but sadness the california legislature has included two hundred million and dedicated funding for the california violence intervention and prevention grant program cow. Vip great name. This funding first proposed by governor gavin newsom in california comeback plan will more than quadrupled the grant programs existing funds and goes to critical evidence based programs that he'll communities reduce violence and support californians. That includes things like bouncing programs which we've covered pretty extensively here on this podcast cal. Vip and the programs it supports. Our evidence led public health based approaches to addressing gun. Violence and this funding is definitely going to help catalyze more of that life saving work. I would love to see this happen states across the us. What does your podcast misuse. Now gonna touch with us here. Rebel brady text message simply call or text us at four eight zero seven four four three four five two with your thoughts. Questions concerns ideas. Whatever kelly i are standing by. Thanks for listening as always. Brady's life saving work in congress. The courts in communities across the country is made possible. Thanks to you for more information on brady or how to get involved in the fight against gun violence. Please like an subscribe to the podcast. Get in touch with us at brady. United dot org or on social at be brazed and remember take action not type..
The Daily Zeitgeist
"nra" Discussed on The Daily Zeitgeist
"Reporting was that he didn't wanna lend his name to something that already existed but then like they said he had been turning down offers like big offers from like these conservative social media platforms that really want trump to be their marquee signing and but those sort of reporting sort of ended with like but that could be changing as their financial situation becomes more strained like. Oh fuck just gimme like some numbers here. But i would love to see an info graph of what we're talking here like. What what the bills looked like every day. Who owes money. 'cause there's a ton of people who are have been in orbit of them who are now in their own legal trouble newly yo. I need you to help me too. Because i'm being investigated for riding with this shit so or should i flipped. Yeah yup imagine the boot camp where his dad who hates him where donald trump junior dead is trying to like turn him into a viable like political successor to him because that that has been like that like donald trump junior was going to be the second coming. But i can just imagine like donald trump like working with him on his hand gestures to try to make him in do like a clone of himself but he hates him so much and also probably like you know is such a narcissist in like. Hey you know secretly hates himself so it just seems like the worst toxic environment that i wouldn't wish on my own worst enemies but i would definitely wish on them. Yeah it's cocaine face also kinda looks like i've been crying all night favor you know and i don't doubt that don jr. has done that and now it is very much like if he were ever groomed to be to run for president. Trump would be waiting in the wings at the very last moment..
The Daily Zeitgeist
"nra" Discussed on The Daily Zeitgeist
"Party. My mom was out of town ones. And my dad had to wrap a gift and he did in the in the funnies. The comics in the newspaper and i was so bummed out my trash. Dad's newspapers i. It's the funnies man at least isn't that auto trading section or whatever and i was lucky i was so mortified at like seven years old pulling up to pistol pete's pizza place well with this janke as gift but anyway was it for a child. Yes for another kid l. I thought you meant it was for pistol pete marriage. I thought you were birthday. And it was like a it was like chucky cheese type place right. He's still pete's arkansas like valley. Oh yeah my favorite shotgun shown okay. Okay the hail as in elliot mass. Okay in a place. That was a restaurant in the early nineties. I wasn't expecting anything remotely close to relevant or culturally sensitive. I what. I really want kids to understand the kinds of birthday parties and the plate. The the degen gas places that we had our birthday parties rocky and bolwing goals would like animatronic link act like how scary and haunting yet like somehow we loved it. At least that's i love rocky. Bullet goes Ball our way. Where where's the worse. Rocky and boeing was up in the bay bay area doesn't exist anymore. I dunno. i think someone got cancelled. I don't know right now. I met rocky or winkle think bullying owed some shady shit francesco. We're going to get to know you a little bit better. In a moment i mean taylor. Listeners hopefully Couple of things. We're talking about today. We're gonna talk about the radical in the white house joe biden. He's going to get things done with some loving stretches strategy. We're gonna talk about don juniors. How he's what's what's that cycle. Kamio kamio he's on cameo. I'm acting like i haven't already paid the money to everyone. Yeah we're gonna talk about. Why the second amendment is a white supremacist tool We're gonna talk about soccer. We're gonna talk about how nobody knows how to act part. Twenty three million four hundred fifty five six hundred fifty four. Were you talk about air treats economy. We're gonna talk about movie theaters now. Being cool with us. Just not wearing a mask all of that plenty more but first franchesca. We'd like to ask our guests. What is something from your search history That is revealing about who you are. Yes we do this. People forget about the one thing that i didn't do. Yeah but see this is. This makes it more honest. 'cause you can't even prep you gotta just tell us what is actually in your searches for this. I think i deleted. But i was just double checking that truffle. Butter actually means the thing as gross as i thought it meant and as inappropriate and sexual and unpleasant and then i was like. Why didn't nicki menaj have to do a whole song about this..
CRUSADE Channel Previews
"nra" Discussed on CRUSADE Channel Previews
"So that's why and i'm bad. I'm bad about this. I mean. I live in a very small town so i don't mind saying i don't carry my gun when i go to the store and stuff like that when i was in fort worth. I did but it shows that it can happen. Anywhere especially with infiltration that's taken place and the spread of liberals from city centres as they flee the destruction that democrats have done. These little pockets are starting out all over the place. Eight four four five thousand seven hundred seventy two three crusade channel dot com forward slash so mod. A terrorist legacy media will memory hole. This thing by. It's eleven o'clock central by two. Pm central by three pm eastern. This'll be gone. Conservatives will talk about it but even people in the chatroom were saying legged legacy media while shooting suspect was a twenty one year old. Why do they why do they not name it because if they tell you that who do you automatically assume it is. You're going to think it's a white person if they don't tell you the race of it. You're going to assume because of their programming and any kind of programming folks just watching the news or any law and order or any of this other stuff. You're all being conditioned to think that white people are the enemy and that you are responsible for the actions of whatever whatever context they've created for you as a slave holder and all these other nonsensical terms. So that's why they don't say it even knows twenty one year old. And this guy dylan park. This is the this guy writes for a couple of crappy little online places but he's blue checkmark verified so whatever..
Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network
"nra" Discussed on Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network
"New york. Moved from new. York was announced the same time. The nra fire for chapter eleven bankruptcy. A business decision. That will repay creditors more importantly pausing any pending litigation from new york filed a civil suit last summer. The group's headquarters remains outside. Fairfax virginia outside. The nation's capital is founded teach marksmanship in basic firearm safety. And it's the largest guns rights advocacy group in the country in a statement the head of the nra which boasts five million members said quote. The strategic plan represents a pathway opportunity growth and progress. Obviously an important part.