NRA denies discussing 'special arrangements' with Trump in return for its support
The National Rifle Association confirmed that CEO Wayne LaPierre met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday but denied any discussions took place about "special arrangements" involving the group's ongoing support of the president.
The response came after The New York Times reported on the meeting Friday, stating Trump and LaPierre "discussed prospective gun legislation and whether the N.R.A. could provide support for the president" amid upcoming impeachment proceedings and his reelection campaign.
“The NRA is not inclined to discuss private conversations with the President,” an NRA spokesman said in a statement. “However, many of the accounts of the meeting, as reported in The New York Times, are inaccurate. The NRA categorically denies any discussion occurred about special arrangements pertaining to the NRA’s support of the President and vice versa.”
The Times' original reporting, which was later updated, stated LaPierre offered "financial support for the president's defense" if, in return, Trump committed to "stop the games" on gun control legislation.
The Times reported that "it was not clear whether Mr. Trump asked Mr. LaPierre for his support, or what that support would look like."
It remains unclear what any "special arrangements" referred to in the NRA's statement meant.
LaPierre’s meeting with Trump comes as the president has wavered on his initial support for some limited gun control measures after mass shootings in Texas and Ohio in August.
The impeachment proceedings launched by the Democrats in the wake of a Ukraine scandal have reportedly iced legislative talks on gun control.
