President’s Column | President Meets President

I am quite certain, that for the first time in NRA history the President of the United States met with the NRA president, the NRA president asked for his support for national Right-to-Carry (NRTC), and then, on a national stage, President Trump called out the NRA president’s name and pledged his support for national Right-to-Carry legislation. But that’s exactly what happened at a rally near Allentown, Pa., in late June.

Here’s part of the transcript from the rally.

President Trump: “Thanks as well to the president of the NRA who’s here with me, Bill Bachenberg. Bill, stand up. And they always give me their endorsement because I saved the Second Amendment, and you think it’s easy? On occasion, it was not easy, right Bill? But we did it. We did it with your help. And we’re doing a couple of other things working with you and your people. But I think you’ve done a fantastic job. The NRA, everybody, they really have been, they’ve been with me right from the beginning.

“And Bill asked me, would I support the national Right-to-Carry legislation? How do you feel about national right-to-carry? [STANDING APPLAUSE] That’s my free poll. You know what that is? That’s a free poll. I don’t have to pay $300,000 to somebody that doesn’t even do polling, you know, to give you phony numbers. See, those are real numbers. National Right-to-Carry. Yeah, we’re working on it.”

During President Trump’s first term, he said, “The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway.” Trump further explained that the right to defend one’s life is viable wherever a person goes: “I have a concealed carry permit … tens of millions of Americans do, too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed-carry permit should work in every state.”

At NRA’s September 2025 Board of Directors meeting, the board voted NRTC to be our top legislative priority. Now is the time to get energized and contact your U.S. House Representative and U.S. Senators. Demand that they vote to protect your family, that they vote in support of NRTC.

The march to pass concealed carry across the country basically originated in 1987 when Florida passed the first shall-issue concealed carry law. The pundits cried, “Florida will become the Wild West!” Of course, that never materialized. Today, 29 states have Constitutional, or “permit-less,” carry laws on the books, and thanks to NRA’s landmark win in the Bruen case, those of you reading from even the deepest blue states have the ability to obtain a concealed-carry permit.

Protecting yourself and your family is your responsibility. The right to do so should not cease because you crossed from a red state into a blue state. Now is the time for Congress to unify and support national right-to-carry. American families, including many politicians’ families, are counting on this universal right for self-protection.

American gun owners are no longer a minority voting bloc. Congress needs to understand that there are more than 100 million law-abiding gun owners in the United States, and between 25 and 30 million NRA-aligned voters. More than 90% of NRA members vote. When we vote as a block, we can ensure protection of our Second Amendment rights by holding politicians accountable.

As a single-issue organization, President Trump and his team have been strong in their support of the Second Amendment and our civil rights. But even with all the progress NRA has made over the years, we can’t become complacent and let our guard down for one second. The mid-term elections are just around the corner. Simply put, you cannot stay home this fall and hope our strong Second Amendment candidates win. You and your friends must vote—we can’t take the chance of anti-gun legislators being elected!!! 

Please track the support of your U.S. House Representative and U.S. Senators on this important, life-saving legislation. Write them today and let them know you are closely watching how they vote.

I’ll be back next month with an update on the officer’s chairman retreat and our strategic planning efforts.