The 2022 NRA Convention is set to begin today at 2PM central time and it features President Donald Trump among other notables like Senator Ted Cruz and North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and many others. Best I can tell, all the good speakers are today.
Below is a live stream by RSBN on both Youtube and Rumble:
I’ll post more live streams as I find them.
Meanwhile, where’s a list via DC Examiner of those who are bowing out of the convention:
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) informed the NRA on Tuesday he would not be able to attend the convention due to scheduling conflicts with his trip to Ukraine, Fox News reported.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) will be in Washington, D.C., on Friday instead of attending the annual NRA meeting.
“Prior to the tragedy today in Uvalde, we had already informed the NRA he would not be able to speak due to [an] unexpected change in his schedule,” a spokesperson told Politico. “He now has to be in D.C. for personal reasons on Friday.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick planned to attend the conference but reversed course in the wake of the Uvalde shooting.
“After prayerful consideration and discussion with NRA officials, I have decided not to speak at the NRA breakfast this morning,” Patrick said in a statement per the Dallas Morning News. “While a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and an NRA member, I would not want my appearance today to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde.”
Celebrities who are skipping the convention completely:
Don McLean, known for singing “American Pie,” was slated to perform at the convention but backed out after the tragic shooting.
“In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week,” McLean said in a statement received by the Washington Examiner.
Lee Greenwood, who sang “God Bless the USA,” joined McLean in dropping plans to perform at the conference out of respect for those mourning the loss of loved ones in Uvalde.
“As a father, I join the rest of America in being absolutely heartbroken by the horrific event that transpired this week in Texas. I was scheduled to perform at NRA’s private event on Saturday with my band,” Greenwood said in a statement. “After thoughtful consideration, we have decided to cancel the appearance out of respect for those mourning the loss of those innocent children and teachers in Uvalde.”
Larry Gatlin, a famed country singer, also canned his planned performance but went a step further than others by calling for more robust background checks as a means of curbing gun violence.
“I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention in Houston this weekend. While I agree with most of the positions held by the NRA, I have come to believe that, while background checks would not stop every madman with a gun, it is at the very least a step in the right direction toward trying to prevent the kind of tragedy we saw this week in Uvalde — in my beloved, weeping TEXAS,” he explained in a statement, per Variety.
Larry Stewart, famous for leading the band Restless Heart, reaffirmed his belief in gun rights but announced he was pulling back from the NRA gathering in response to the mass school shooting.
“Due to the tragedy in Uvalde with the horrific school shooting and children who died, I want to honor the victims, families, the town, and our friends in the great state of Texas the best I know how. So I have made the decision to pull out as a performer for the NRA convention this weekend, especially given the event is just down the road. I’m a strong believer in the 2nd Amendment, and I know the NRA is a great organization who teaches strict gun safety,” he said, according to Variety.
I would post a guide for who will be speaking and when but I honestly can’t find one. If I do, I’ll post it here.
Meanwhile, enjoy this open thread…
What life feels like after 1,000 days in the shelter ❤️️❤️️❤️️ pic.twitter.com/Fg8JNL5azd
— The Dodo (@dodo) May 27, 2022