Republicans at NRA call for stronger school security

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did not attend a National Rifle Association convention in Houston over the weekend, instead delivering a video message focused on last week’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The NRA also had to cancel a planned country music concert Saturday night after multiple performers pulled out. Outside the convention, Abbott’s rival in the upcoming November election, Beto O’Rourke, joined a crowd of protesters. O’Rourke was among many Democrats who called on the NRA to cancel the event in the wake of the shooting.

Who was at the convention? Former President Donald Trump spoke at the convention, along with GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. They and many of the other speakers advocated for stepped-up security at schools across the United States. Cruz echoed another prevailing theme, saying, “What stops armed bad guys is armed good guys.”

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Leigh Jones’ report on Republicans’ response to a 2018 school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas.