

Jill Colvin and Lisa Marie Pane, The Associated Press





INDIANAPOLIS -- With pro-gun legislation largely stalled in Congress, President Donald Trump said Friday he is withdrawing the U.S. from an international agreement on the arms trade, telling the National Rifle Association the treaty is "badly misguided."

Trump made the announcement as he vowed to fight for gun rights and implored members of the nation's largest pro-gun group -- struggling to maintain its influence -- to rally behind his re-election bid.

"It's under assault," he said of the constitutional right to bear arms. "But not while we're here."

Trump said he would be revoking the United States' status as a signatory of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates international trade in conventional weapons, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. President Barack Obama signed the pact in 2013 but it has never been ratified by U.S. lawmakers.

It has long been opposed by the NRA.

"Under my administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone, Trump said, before signing a document on stage asking the Senate to halt the ratification process. "We will never allow foreign diplomats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom," Trump said, before signing a document on stage asking the Senate to halt the ratification process.

"I hope you're happy," he told the group, to cheers.

His move against the treaty came as Trump sought to excite an organization that was pivotal to Trump's victory in 2016 but, three years later, is limping toward the next election divided and diminished.

"You better get out there and vote," he said, telling the crowd of thousands that the 2020 election "seems like it's a long ways away. It's not."

Gun activists denounced the treaty when it was under negotiation as an infringement of civilian firearm ownership, despite the well-enshrined legal principle that says no treaty can override the Constitution or U.S. laws. The treaty is aimed at cracking down on illicit trading in small arms, thereby curbing violence in some of the most troubled corners of the world.

Advocates of tighter gun restrictions denounced Trump's decision. Kris Brown, president of the Brady organization, said it was a "reckless move" that will "only embolden terrorists and other dangerous actors around the world."

In a speech full of grievance, Trump railed against the Russia investigation, which did not establish a criminal conspiracy between Russians and the Trump campaign. Special counsel Robert Mueller outlined potential episodes of obstruction of justice by the president without concluding that he had committed any crime, leaving such questions for Congress to pursue as it saw fit.

"They tried for a coup," Trump said. "It didn't work out so well."

"And I didn't need a gun for that, did I?" he quipped, adding: "Spying. Surveillance. Trying for an overthrow? And we caught 'em."

And in a pre-emptive attack against his 2016 Democratic challengers, Trump claimed without evidence that the other party wants "to take away your guns."

An emboldened NRA had high hopes and ambitious plans for easing state and national gun regulations after pouring tens of millions of dollars into the 2016 presidential race, seeing its dark horse candidate win and Republicans in control of both branches of Congress.

But much of the legislation the group championed has stalled, due, in part, to a series of mass shootings, including the massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 dead and launched a youth movement against gun violence that has had a powerful impact. And Democrats won control of the House in the midterms.

At the same time, the group is grappling with infighting, bleeding money and facing a series of investigations into its operating practices, including allegations that covert Russian agents seeking to influence the 2016 election courted its officials and funneled money through the group.

As Trump landed in Indianapolis, a judge imposed an 18-month prison term on gun rights activist Maria Butina, an admitted Russian agent who tried to infiltrate American conservative groups.

The NRA's shaky fortunes have raised questions about the one-time kingmaker's clout heading into 2020.

"I've never seen the NRA this vulnerable" said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit that advocates for gun control measures.

With Trump in office, gun owners no longer fear the Second Amendment is under attack to the extent it was perceived to be under Democrats.

"Good times are never good for interest groups because it's much better when Armageddon is at your doorstep," said Harry Wilson, a Roanoke College professor who has written extensively on gun politics. "Fear is a huge motivator in politics."

The NRA, said Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor and expert on gun policy, has also dramatically changed its messaging over the last two years, with its NRATV service advocating a panoply of far-right political views that have turned off some members.

At the same time, public sentiment has shifted. A March AP-NORC poll found that 67% of Americans overall think gun laws should be made stricter -- up from 61% in October 2017.

And a June 2018 Gallup poll found overall favourable opinions of the NRA down slightly from October 2015, from 58% to 53%. Unfavourable views have grown, from 35% to 42%.

Against that backdrop, Democratic politicians have become more comfortable assailing -- and even actively running against -- the NRA and pledging action to curb gun violence. And gun control groups like Everytown, which is largely financed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and a political action committee formed by Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman wounded in a shooting, have become better organized and more visible, especially at the state level.

That reversal was made clear during the 2018 midterm elections, when those groups vastly outspent the NRA .

During the midterms the NRA "committed almost a disappearing act," said Everytown's Feinblatt.

Winkler, the UCLA law professor, allowed that the group had scored some victories under Trump, including the appointment of two Supreme Court justices who may be open to striking down gun laws.

But overall, he said, "On the legislative front, the NRA has been frustrated," with priorities like national reciprocity for conceal carry laws and a repeal of the ban on silencers stalled.

Instead, Trump introduced a new federal regulation: a ban on bump stocks after a man using the device opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers on the Las Vegas strip, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds.

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Pane reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press writers Brian Slodysko, Emily Swanson and Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report</s>President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States would not abide by a UN treaty aimed at regulating the global arms trade, calling it "misguided" and an encroachment on US sovereignty.

The US Senate never ratified the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty after former president Barack Obama endorsed it. Trump said he was revoking his predecessor's signature.

"We will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone," Trump said in a speech to the National Rifle Association in Indianapolis. "We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom," he said, referring to the constitutional right to bear arms.

"And that is why my administration will never ratify the UN arms trade treaty."

"I am officially announcing today that the United States will be revoking the effect of America's signature from this badly misguided treatment (sic). We're taking our signature back."

The treaty, which entered into effect in December 2014, seeks to regulate the flow of weapons into conflict zones.

It requires member countries to keep records of international transfers of weapons and to prohibit cross-border shipments that could be used in human rights violations or attacks on civilians.

While 130 countries originally signed the treaty, only 101 have ratified and joined it. Those include major powers like France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The world's largest arms traders, the United States, China and Russia, have not joined.

Asked about Trump's announcement, the United Nations praised the arms trade treaty as a "landmark achievement" in efforts to ensure responsibility in international arms transfers.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the ATT is "the only global instrument aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the international arms trade."

He said the treaty was "particularly important in present times, when we witness growing international tensions and renewed interest in expanding and modernizing arsenals."

In a statement the White House said the treaty "fails to truly address the problem of irresponsible arms transfers, while providing a platform for those who would seek to constrain our ability to sell arms to our allies and partners."

It also claimed that some groups are trying to use the treaty to overturn "sovereign national decisions" on arms exports -- pointing to one effort to block the British government's sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

"The ATT is simply not needed for the United States to engage in responsible arms trade," the White House said.</s>(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump says the U.S. has decided to withdraw its support for a treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade. It’s the latest example of the Trump administration’s dislike of international pacts.

Trump said Friday that he has decided to revoke the United States’ status as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty regulating international trade in conventional weapons, including small arms, battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships.

He says America is “rejecting this treaty” and “taking our signature back.”

He made the announcement during a speech in Indianapolis, Indiana, to the National Rifle Association, which claims the treaty poses a threat to the Second Amendment. The U.S. signed the treaty in 2013, but never ratified it.</s>President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States would not abide by a UN treaty aimed at regulating the global arms trade, calling it "misguided" and an encroachment on US sovereignty.

Trump said the US Senate had never ratified the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty despite his predecessor Barack Obama having endorsed it, and said he would never ratify it.

"We will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone," Trump said in a speech to the National Rifle Association in Indianapolis. "We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom," he said, referring to the constitutional right to bear arms.

"And that is why my administration will never ratify the UN arms trade treaty."

"I am officially announcing today that the United States will be revoking the effect of America's signature from this badly misguided treatment (sic). We're taking our signature back."

The treaty, which entered into effect in December 2014, seeks to regulate the flow of weapons into conflict zones.

It requires member countries to keep records of international transfers of weapons and to prohibit cross-border shipments that could be used in human rights violations or attacks on civilians.

While 130 countries originally signed the treaty, only 101 have ratified and joined it. Those include major powers like France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The world's largest arms traders, the United States, China and Russia, have not joined.

In a statement the White House said the treaty "fails to truly address the problem of irresponsible arms transfers, while providing a platform for those who would seek to constrain our ability to sell arms to our allies and partners."

It also claimed that some groups are trying to use the treaty to overturn "sovereign national decisions" on arms exports -- pointing to one effort to block the British government's sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

"The ATT is simply not needed for the United States to engage in responsible arms trade," the White House said.</s>U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected a UN arms trade treaty that was approved by his predecessor Barack Obama and is currently waiting in the Senate for ratification.

“The UN will soon receive a formal notice that America is rejecting this treaty,” Trump said on Friday, addressing the National Rifle Association (NRA), a pro-gun group, denouncing the “badly misguided” agreement.

On stage in Indianapolis, Trump then signed a formal message to the Senate asking lawmakers to “discontinue the treaty ratification process.

“And to return the now rejected treaty right back to me in the Oval Office, where I will dispose of it,” he said to applause.

Trump signed the letter and then threw the pen to the crowd, which was chanting “U-S-A.”

“We are reaffirming that American liberty is sacred and that American citizens live by American laws, not the laws of foreign countries,” said Trump.

In the final weeks of his presidency, Obama had sent the treaty to the Senate, which must approve international treaties under the U.S. Constitution.

The Arms Trade Treaty regulates the international trade in conventional arms. According to the UN, 101 states joined the ATT.

It entered into force in 2014.

Obama pledged it would not infringe on the U.S. constitutional right to gun ownership.

Trump also used his speech to hail U.S. states that have allowed trained teachers to carry guns in the classroom “to protect themselves and their students who they love.”

The U.S. has seen a spate of school shootings over the past two decades.</s>The URL has been copied to your clipboard

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At the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association, the nation's most powerful gun rights lobbying group Friday, President Donald Trump declared that the United States is withdrawing from the 2013 United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, which sought to prevent illicit arms transfers to overseas conflicts. Patsy Widakuswara reports.</s>President Trump announced Friday that his administration is withdrawing the U.S. signature from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, in response to concerns from gun rights activists that it could impinge on Americans’ right to bear arms

“Under my administration we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone, we will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom and that is why my administration will never ratify the U.N. trade treaty,” Trump told an audience at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Indianapolis.

“I am officially announcing today that the United States will be revoking the effect of America’s signature from this badly misguided treaty, we’re taking our signature back,” he said.

Former President Barack Obama signed the treaty in 2013 and sent the treaty to the Senate for ratification. Onstage Friday, Trump signed a notice to the Senate asking it to stop the ratification process and return the treaty to the White House, “where I will dispose of it.”

The treaty seeks to regulate international trade in conventional arms, including everything from tanks to small arms, specifically looking to “prevent and eradicate the illicit trade in conventional arms and prevent their diversion.”

PERSON APPEARS TO THROW PHONE ON STAGE DURING TRUMP’S SPEECH TO NRA

But, while supporters of the treaty have argued that it could not infringe on Second Amendment rights, the document had long been opposed by the NRA — who pointed to the treaty’s call for national recordkeeping and for governments to share those records, and claimed that the treaty meant that U.S. gun policy “could become the rest of the world’s business and subject to its approval, on pain of trade restrictions if it doesn’t meet ‘international norms.’”

Trump has been skeptical of both the U.N. and multilateral agreements and supported the NRA’s concerns in his speech.

“By taking these actions, we are reaffirming that American liberty is sacred and that American citizens live by American laws not by laws of foreign countries,” he said.

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Under the Trump administration, the U.S. has pulled out of the Iran nuclear agreement and the Paris climate accord. It has also withdrawn from the controversial U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N.’s educational and cultural organization, UNESCO.

In the speech to the crowd in Indianapolis, Trump presented himself as a defender of Second Amendment rights, telling NRA supporters that it “is an honor to fight by your side” and promising to defend Americans’ rights to carry guns.</s>Trump says US is 'taking our signature back' from UN Arms Trade Treaty, tells NRA pact is 'badly misguided'

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Trump says US is 'taking our signature back' from UN Arms Trade Treaty, tells NRA pact is 'badly misguided'</s>Donald Trump has said he is pulling the United States out of an international arms treaty designed to prevent weapons being sold to those who abuse human rights.

Trump made the announcement at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting, signing an order to the US Senate to stop the ratification process.

The 2013 Arms Trade Treaty, which puts restrictions on weapons exports, was signed by then President Barack Obama but never ratified by the Senate.

Neither China nor Russia have signed the agreement, leading conservatives to argue that acceptance would put US businesses at an unfair disadvantage.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday was expected to announce his intention to revoke the United States’ status as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty, which was signed in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama but never ratified by Congress, two U.S. officials said.

Trump was expected to announce the decision in a speech in Indianapolis, to the National Rifle Association, the officials said. The NRA, a powerful gun lobby group, has long been opposed to the treaty, which was negotiated at the United Nations.

The Arms Trade Treaty aims to regulate the $70 billion business in conventional arms and keep weapons out of the hands of human rights abusers.

The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the treaty in April 2013 and the United States, the world’s No. 1 arms exporter, voted in favor of it despite fierce opposition from the NRA.

The NRA is concerned the treaty would undermine domestic gun rights, a view the Obama administration strongly rejected.

Trump was joined on his trip to Indianapolis by White House national security adviser John Bolton, an advocate of withdrawing the United States from international treaties out of concern they might undermine U.S. authority.
U.S. President Donald Trump announces at an NRA meeting that he will be withdrawing the country's signature from the Arms Trade Treaty.