The NRA After Its Latest Board Election and Trump's Snub (ft. John Petrolino)
04/21/25 • 44 min
This week, we're taking a close look at the state of the NRA.
The nation's largest gun-rights group is not nearly as large as it was half a decade ago. President Donald Trump just bailed on its conference. However, its civil corruption suit is now over, and its latest board election is in the books.
To give us a detailed view of where the NRA is at today, we've got freelance reporter John Petrolino on the show. John often writes for Shooting News Weekly and Bearing Arms. He recently did a great breakdown of the NRA election for the latter.
John said the reformers, who now go by NRA 2.0, won a sizeable victory and should have a significant majority headed into next weekend's NRA Annual Meeting. Other longtime board members and defenders of former CEO Wayne LaPierre, many of whom are now part of what's called Strong NRA, did not fare as well. But John noted those who didn't run under the banner of either group did the worst of all.
He also said some prominent board members, like New York State Rifle and Pistol Association president Tom King, lost their bids. John said he was a bit surprised by some of the results, but he believes the board's partisanship may not last. He said both sides have made calls for unity, however hard that might end up being.
Special Guest: John Petrolino.
This week, we're taking a close look at the state of the NRA.
The nation's largest gun-rights group is not nearly as large as it was half a decade ago. President Donald Trump just bailed on its conference. However, its civil corruption suit is now over, and its latest board election is in the books.
To give us a detailed view of where the NRA is at today, we've got freelance reporter John Petrolino on the show. John often writes for Shooting News Weekly and Bearing Arms. He recently did a great breakdown of the NRA election for the latter.
John said the reformers, who now go by NRA 2.0, won a sizeable victory and should have a significant majority headed into next weekend's NRA Annual Meeting. Other longtime board members and defenders of former CEO Wayne LaPierre, many of whom are now part of what's called Strong NRA, did not fare as well. But John noted those who didn't run under the banner of either group did the worst of all.
He also said some prominent board members, like New York State Rifle and Pistol Association president Tom King, lost their bids. John said he was a bit surprised by some of the results, but he believes the board's partisanship may not last. He said both sides have made calls for unity, however hard that might end up being.
Special Guest: John Petrolino.
Previous Episode
Trump Rejects Gun Control After FSU Shooting, Skips NRA Annual Meeting
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the latest updates in the shooting at Florida State University, including the early response from President Donald Trump. We also talk about Trump's decision to skip the NRA's annual meeting for the first time since 2015 and what it says about the group's current influence. Finally, we discuss a new federal appeals court ruling upholding Massachusetts' ban on AR-15s and ammunition magazines as well as a new Montana bill cracking down on red flag laws.
Next Episode
SCOTUS Clears Path for Under-21 Gun Carry in Minnesota; Fox Poll Has Trump Underwater on Guns
Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about the Supreme Court's decision to reject Minnesota's appeal of an Eighth Circuit decision striking down its age limit for carry permits, effectively clearing the way for young adults to carry guns in the state. We also talk about a new bill signed into law in Iowa this week that accomplishes the same thing for that state's residents. We then cover a new Fox poll showing more people disapprove of President Trump's handling of gun policy than approve in his first 100 days back in office. Finally, we wrap up with an update on my upcoming trip down to Atlanta to cover the NRA's annual meeting.
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