NRA sees membership surge under Biden

The Biden Administration has been good for the NRA. The organization has seen a jump in new members in recent months, with 150,000 signups in 2021 alone so far. On average, the gun rights group is seeing about 1,000 new members a day.

The surge is attributed in part to the gun restrictions being discussed by Biden and Democrats in Congress.

“We’ve had two federal bills that have been passed in the House, and they’re going to be heard in the Senate soon,” said Amy Hunter, director of media relations. “You have Biden talking about executive action that he’s going to take, and it’s been pretty steady throughout history that when you have an anti-gun president in office and he’s passing laws, signing executive action, that usually causes a surge in NRA membership.”

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Enrollment for the gun safety organization was also strong during the pandemic.

“People were looking around at what was going on, they’re scared, all of the services, everything’s being shut down and they’re being told to stay in their home,” she said. “ The only outlet they have is to watch TV, and on TV they’re seeing riots and unrest happening across the country, they’re seeing that their politicians are closing gun stores, using emergency powers to sort of shut down the Second Amendment.”

In the wake of two recent mass shootings, the White House said Biden will take executive action on gun control, even as Biden remains confident Congress will approve tighter restrictions. “I’m the only one who has ever got them passed, man,” Biden said, referring to the 10-year ban on so-called assault weapons that he helped steer to Senate approval in 1994.

The NRA is fighting the bills being considered by the Senate and is not taking lightly Biden, congressional Democrats or former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who advocates for harsher gun restrictions and pours money into groups that push for them.

“We have a better membership, we have a stronger base, we have people who really believe in liberty and freedom and the Constitution, but we never underestimate our opponents,” Hunter said.

–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice