The momentum we’re seeing across the country is both encouraging and energizing. January opened with tremendous activity at the NRA booth during SHOT Show, where members, industry partners and supporters stopped by to connect, share ideas and reaffirm their commitment to freedom and the Second Amendment.
That excitement carried straight into February with record attendance at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pa. Once again, this premier event proved why it remains one of the most important gatherings for sportsmen, outdoor enthusiasts and families anywhere in the country. At the same time, NRA involvement at the Safari Club International Show in Nashville, Tenn., demonstrated the growing reach and engagement of our community nationwide.
Looking ahead, all roads lead to Houston and the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits—this year from April 16-19 in Houston, Texas, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. A highlight of the weekend will be Saturday night, April 18, when the NRA will help kick off the celebration of America’s 250th birthday with special guests and unforgettable entertainment. It will be a meaningful and patriotic evening, and we hope you’ll make every effort to join us as we honor our nation’s founding and the freedoms that define it.
Anyone attending any of these events should be able to see we are not unrelated individuals walking into a show; rather, we are of a kindred spirit, a family brought together by the love of freedom.
To expand our NRA family even more, we are leveraging new technology as a tool to help us improve communication. This means we will be sending out less direct mail in the future. We are also using these tools to more effectively re-engage with members who forgot to renew and we’re expanding our outreach to continue to bring in the next generation of NRA members.
You’ll see this in our messaging and, we hope, you’ll see it reflected in the members who come to our Annual Meetings to see our “Wall of Guns” and the more than 14 acres of guns and gear, to attend the NRA Country concert featuring Aaron Lewis on April 16 at the White Oak Music Hall and to join our celebration of America’s 250th birthday on April 18.
I bring all this up in the hopes you will be there, but also because events like our Annual Meetings show how wrong mainstream-media narratives are about us, our Second Amendment-protected freedom and all we stand for. This is important to know and to experience, as some in the media and in politics would like to take the enthusiasm for this association and our freedom from you.
The NRA, to put it simply, is a grassroots association of Americans who love their country. We come together at events like this to celebrate our shared values. Without all of us joyfully living this hands-on freedom, the NRA’s lobbyists and attorneys would have a much harder time advocating for our freedom in legislatures and courtrooms across this nation.
With that said, let me address the vociferous media speculation, as well as social-media conversations, that have been taking place lately over what the NRA is and should be saying about any given event, tragedy or statement from a politician. Your NRA—and this has always been the case—holds steadfast to our constitutionally protected values.
To best defend this freedom, we resist the temptation to weigh in too soon or too broadly. The facts need time to come out. To paraphrase Rudyard Kipling, we must keep our heads when all others are losing theirs. In each case, a full and transparent investigation is necessary and appropriate. Accountability under the law applies to all. We stand by these principles. Our stellar legal team in our Institute for Legislative Action is always ready to defend our freedom in court, but we must do so thoughtfully.
So, our priorities remain unchanged: We advocate for the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding citizens. To do this effectively, we need to raise funds so we can continue to engage in the civil-rights struggles of today. To achieve our members’ goals, and to ensure long-term stability, we are building on the balanced budget of 2025 to ensure we can continue to advocate for and celebrate our freedom long into the future.
To realize all of this, we are focused on expanding and strengthening our Membership Plus offerings to increase value, retention and lifetime member engagement. In keeping with this endeavor, I encourage everyone to visit nra.org for updates on the launch of our all-new NRA mobile app, including when it will be available and how to download it to your phone. Please take a moment to renew your membership if you haven’t already—and help us recruit new members. As we build momentum heading into the 2026 midterm elections, participation matters more than ever. In the meantime, I hope to see you in Houston.
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