Carolyn Meadows, the National Rifle Association’s new president, said in an interview published Sunday that her U.S. representative, Georgia Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath, unseated the Republican incumbent because she is a woman and an African American.
“There will be more than one person in the race, but we’ll get that seat back, but it is wrong to say like McBath said, that the reason she won was because of her anti-gun stance. That didn’t have anything to do with it,” Ms. Meadows told the Marietta Daily Journal.
“It had to do with being a minority female. And the Democrats really turned out, and that’s the problem we have with conservatives — we don’t turn out as well,” she said.
Ms. McBath pushed back Monday in a Twitter thread, stating the reason she decided to run for Congress was “out of the love” for her son, Jordan Davis, who was killed in a 2012 gas station shooting. The gunman was later charged with first-degree murder.
“I have faced attack after attack from the far right - but that hasn’t stopped my work for families of [Georgia’s 6th Congressional District]. The House has already passed gun safety legislation for the first time in decades, and there is much more to come,” she tweeted.
“My work on gun violence, healthcare, and many other issues is just starting. And yes - as a woman of color I am proud to be part of the most diverse class in American history. My experiences drive the work I am doing for my constituents. And nobody can take that away from me,” she tweeted.
Ms. Meadows said her mission as president of the NRA is to bring in more members and help President Trump get a second term as president.
“We’re going to work to get Donald Trump reelected, unity, and that’s primarily it, to be politically active, to bring gun-toters into the fold, to get more gun-toters to join NRA. It’s a powerful lobby, not just for gun rights, but for rights. We believe in the Constitution. When we take our oath of office we actually swear allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. That’s why I do it.”
Ms. Meadows was unanimously voted president of the NRA after former President Oliver North announced his departure during the association’s annual meeting in late April, citing tensions with Wayne LaPierre, the group’s executive vice president.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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