WASHINGTON — Shortly after New York’s attorney general announced she’s suing the National Rifle Association Thursday, President Donald Trump suggested the organization should move to Texas.
The lawsuit filed Thursday by Attorney General Letitia James followed an 18-month investigation into the NRA, a nonprofit group originally chartered in New York. She accused its top leaders of using NRA funds for lavish personal trips, lucrative contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures.
President Trump was about to leave for Ohio when he was asked about the lawsuit, which he called a "very terrible thing," then floated the idea about a move south.
“I think the NRA should move to Texas and lead a very good and beautiful life,” he said. “And I've told them that for a long time. I think they should move to Texas. Texas would be a great place or to another state of their choosing. But I would say that Texas would be a great place, an appropriate place for the NRA. This has been going on for a long time. They've been absolutely decimated by the cost of that lawsuit. And it's very sad but I would suggest that is what they should be doing.”
James’ lawsuit states the NRA went from a nearly $28 million surplus in 2015 to a $36 million deficit in 2018.
National Rifle Association President Carolyn Meadows said the group was counter-suing the New York attorney general’s office, setting the stage for a drawn-out legal battle that could last for years. "It’s a transparent attempt to score political points and attack the leading voice in opposition to the leftist agenda,' Meadows said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
