President Donald Trump on Monday said that the National Rifle Association is “under siege” by New York’s governor and attorney general after the organization’s president stepped down on Saturday.
New York Attorney General Letitia James opened an investigation into the NRA’s tax-exempt status last Friday, issuing letters to top NRA officials and affiliated groups to preserve financial records before issuing subpoenas to some of the NRA’s related businesses. This follows a legal battle between the NRA and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over the group’s insurance program Carry Guard, which is intended to help pay legal fees for people who have shot a weapon in self-defense.
“The NRA is under siege by Cuomo and the New York State A.G., who are illegally using the State’s legal apparatus to take down and destroy this very important organization, & others,” Trump tweeted on Monday morning. “It must get its act together quickly, stop the internal fighting, & get back to GREATNESS - FAST!”
He added later: “People are fleeing New York State because of high taxes and yes, even oppression of sorts. They didn’t even put up a fight against SALT - could have won. So much litigation. The NRA should leave and fight from the outside of this very difficult to deal with (unfair) State!”