Weakened NRA panicking they may not be able to keep Trump in line as gun control push ramps up

According to a report from the Daily Beast, National Rifle Association head Wayne LaPierre and other execs at the gun rights organization are fearful that Donald Trump might make good on his pledge to do something about overly permissive gun laws.

With the NRA already reeling from executive turnover, accusations of financial mismanagement and declining revenue, the recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton come at a bad time for an organization known for its rapid response in the face of public anger.

According to the Beast, "The NRA had spent massive amounts of money to help get Trump elected in 2016, and the president views the organization as one of his top reservoirs of support. And he’s kept close tabs on its internal dramas and gossip, according to two sources close to Trump."

However, the report notes, Trump advised the NRA that he thought their lawyers were "lousy" which rattled LaPierre.

"Now, with growing public demand for tougher gun laws in the wake of two mass shootings, the NRA is trying to keep the president in line with depleted resources and talent," the report states. "NRA leaders are looking to pump the brakes once again. But LaPierre is in an unusually weak position, and his group’s problems have only grown since the day Trump told its top officials to get better lawyers. "

What is bedeviling the NRA now is an internecine war within the organization over attorney William A. Brewer III, whose firm was billing the organization an estimated $100,000 per day according to a recent audit which La Pierre was reportedly hiding from the board.

Brewer has defended the expenditures, issuing a statement saying: "We’re proud of our advocacy on behalf of the NRA. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the NRA leadership team and the senior members of the board. Of course, we care little about the opinions of those adversaries who seek to undermine the Association.”

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