WASHINGTON (AP) - Back for a return engagement, President Donald Trump's address to the National Rifle Association on Friday comes after he temporarily strayed from the group's strong opposition to tougher gun controls following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida - only to rapidly return to the fold.
For the fourth year in a row, Trump will speak to the group, which meets this year in Dallas. Last year, he became the first sitting president to appear in more than 30 years, declaring that the "assault" on the Second Amendment had ended. But this year's speech comes as gun violence is taking on a new urgency after one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
Student survivors of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead are now leading a massive national gun control movement. While the shooting has not led to major changes from the White House or the Republican-led Congress, it did - at least briefly - prompt Trump to declare that he would stand up to the powerful gun lobby. He later backpedaled on that tough talk.
FILE - In this April 28, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during the National Rifle Association-ILA Leadership Forum, in Atlanta. As NRA prepares to gather for its 147th annual meeting in Dallas, the political landscape has changed considerably in the past year. Even with a GOP-led Congress and a gun-friendly president in the White House, its agenda has stalled. And a new generation seems to have the upper hand in pushing for gun-control after several deadly mass shootings. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart File)
Trump's attendance at this year's NRA convention
