On Monday, the United States Secret Service (USSS) dismantled a lie pushed by the media which was started by far-left Parkland activists who claimed that the NRA banned guns at their upcoming convention this weekend in Dallas.
The false claim started when gun control activist Cameron Kasky, who has a history of making wildly inaccurate claims, tweeted a screenshot from an article that noted that firearms would not be allowed at the convention due to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence attending the event. Kasky tweeted: “The NRA has evolved into such a hilarious parody of itself.”
However, the quote in the tweet explicitly stated that the Secret Service would be responsible for the event’s security, not the NRA.
In a statement to The Daily Wire, the Secret Service explained:
Title 18 United States Code Sections 3056 and 1752, provides the Secret Service authority to preclude firearms from entering sites visited by our protectees, including those located in open-carry states. Only authorized law enforcement personnel working in conjunction with the Secret Service for a particular event may carry a firearm inside of the protected site.
The Secret Service works closely with our local law enforcement partners in each state to ensure a safe environment for our protectees and the public. Individuals determined to be carrying firearms will not be allowed past a predetermined outer perimeter checkpoint, regardless of whether they possess a ticket to the event.
The NRA also provided a statement to The Daily Wire explaining that the rules governing the event are set by the Secret Service, not the NRA:
When the Vice President or President is on site that venue is no longer under NRA jurisdiction, it is under the control of the United States Secret Service. …
After the President and Vice President have left the venue NRA rules apply and people will be permitted to carry in accordance with local laws. To be clear the USSS rules are in effect until the President and Vice President leave the venue. This only applies to the exact venue where they will speak and inside that security perimeter. Other NRAAM events taking place in other areas at the same time are not subject to the USSS policy.
Despite these facts, left-wing activists pushed the falsehood that the NRA are hypocrites because they supposedly banned guns at the event.
The media and other left-leaning personalities and activists also picked up on this false claim and spread it, seizing upon the opportunity to attack the NRA using false information.