Gillibrand Calls the NRA 'the Worst Organization In America' - But That's Not What She Said in 2008

Brittany M. Hughes | June 4, 2019
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In a Fox News town hall over the weekend, Democratic Senator and 2020 presidential hopeful Kirsten Gillibrand called the National Rifle Association “the worst organization in the country,”accusing the 5 million-member Second Amendment rights group of caring "more about their profits than the American people.”

But that’s not the tune she was singing just a few short years ago.

Following Gillibrand’s comments (which fall in line with many of her fellow 2020 contenders’ hardline pitches for tougher gun control), the NRA fired back with a reminder that the New York lawmaker once sung their praises – personally.

"I appreciate the work that the NRA does to protect gun owners right and I look forward to working with you for many years in Congress," Gillibrand wrote in a 2008 letter to the NRA, posted to the gun rights groups’ Twitter page.

 

 

The NRA attached copies of the full letter Gillibrand had written them back in 2008, in which she affirmed that “I always have and always will believe that the correct interpretation of the 2nd amendment is that it applies to an individual's right to carry guns.”

Gillibrand added in the letter that she was "adamantly opposed" to the idea "outright banning firearms for cosmetic features, bullets of an [sic] random size, or banning magazines from holding an arbitrary number of cartridges,” calling those efforts "random" and intended solely to "limit[] gun ownership or usage."

In addition, Gillibrand said she opposed measures to limit the number of guns an individual could purchase in a set amount of time, the mandating of “smart guns,” and was a committed opponent to the Washington D.C. City Council’s efforts to keep law-abiding citizens from owning guns (an issue the U.S. Supreme Court has since ruled on).

Gillibrand says her gigantic flip-flop on gun rights happened when she got out of her "rural" community and began campaigni-- I mean, er, "caring" about people in other communities.

"I came from a district that was really rural -- Second Amendment was important, hunting was important," Gillibrand said at Sunday's town hall. "I recognize people have different communities, [but] the truth is, it wasn’t good enough to care only about your backyard; you’ve got to care about communities across this country.”

Or, apparently, your ability to get elected.

(Cover Photo: Phil Roeder) 

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