Press Coverage of Sen. Cruz’s Address to the National Rifle Association
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) delivered remarks at the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) Annual Meeting, where he highlighted his efforts to defend the Second Amendment, including his letter to Citigroup and Bank of America, who have sought to restrict customers’ lawful gun purchases and gun sales, and his bill to improve school safety and prevent violent criminals from obtaining weapons.
Several news outlets covered his remarks and legislative efforts. Selected news coverage is below:
NBC DFW: Cruz: NRA Members are 'Under Assault'
“‘The message today was in significant part thanking the men and women here, the men and women of the NRA,’ Sen. Cruz said. ‘Right now they’re under assault. There is a concerted media campaign that is trying to go after the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens. I pointed out, looking at Sutherland Springs, the horrific church shooting in Texas - the way to stop crimes like that is not to restrict the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens. That doesn’t work. What works is targeting criminals. What works is putting felons and fugitives who try to illegally buy guns in jail. That’s what I’ve lead the effort in the Senate to do. That’s what would have been effective. If the legislation that I introduced in 2013, the Grassley-Cruz legislation had passed… and the Democrats hadn’t filibustered it, then there is a very good possibility the shooter in Sutherland Springs would have been in federal prison, instead of in that church murdering those innocent men, women, and children. We ought to focus on what works, which is targeting the bad guys, and we should cherish and safeguard the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens.’”
Austin American-Statesman: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz ties gun ownership to freedom
“Speaking at the National Rifle Association convention in Dallas on Friday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting showed the dangers of gun control. Cruz gave heaping praise to the two men who confronted the shooter, including one who had shot the shooter with his AR-15. ‘Stephen (Willeford) is an NRA rifle instructor — otherwise known as the media’s perfect nightmare,’ he said. Cruz said that survivors and families of victims told him gun control is not the answer. He said that one woman who had been in the church told him: ‘We all had our guns, we just left them in our cars out of respect for the church. If we had had our guns we’d have shot that guy and he wouldn’t have killed any of us.’ ‘The answer isn’t to restrict the Second Amendment for law abiding citizens,’ Cruz said, ‘it’s to go after violent criminals like a ton of bricks.’”
Roll Call: Ahead of NRA Speech, Cruz Bashes Big Banks Over Restrictions on Guns
“Ahead of his own speech to the National Rifle Association Friday, Sen. Ted Cruz was focused on a pair of big banks that are imposing restrictions on firearm sales conducted by their business partners. ‘Under this new policy, we will require new retail sector clients or partners to adhere to these best practices: (1) they don’t sell firearms to someone who hasn’t passed a background check, (2) they restrict the sale of firearms for individuals under 21 years of age, and (3) they don’t sell bump stocks or high-capacity magazines,’ Citi said in its March announcement of the gun policy changes. ‘This policy will apply across the firm, including to small business, commercial and institutional clients, as well as credit card partners, whether co-brand or private label.’ Citi did not extend its policy to restricting the ability of individuals with credit or debit cards issued by the bank from using them. Bank of America has announced changes of its own regarding lending practices. But the GOP senator from Texas is now criticizing the banks for what he views as an insufficient commitment to the Second Amendment. ‘The citizens of Texas — including your millions of customers in Texas — appear to have a stronger commitment to protecting our constitutional liberties than do your boardrooms. Texans value Liberty and our God-given right to protect ourselves and our families too much to allow giant banks to dictate our rights, including our right to keep and bear arms,’ Cruz wrote. ‘The Bill of Rights should not be subject to corporate pressure or financial coercion.’”
The Daily Caller: Ted Cruz Blasts ‘Coastal Elites’ For Attacks On The NRA
“Republican Sen. Ted Cruz’s Friday column went after ‘coastal elites’ attacking the NRA in a column published Friday. Cruz writes in the Dallas News, ‘Coastal elites who have never been to shooting ranges consider even responsible firearm ownership akin to tracking manure onto the kitchen floor: perhaps not criminal, but certainly not acceptable, and worth stopping.’ The Republican senator also said that ‘most of NRA members are model citizens.’ ‘Concealed-carry permit holders commit crime at lower rates than the general population, the vast majority of crimes involving guns are committed with illegally obtained weapons, and most mass shootings tragically occur in legally designated gun-free zones.’”
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