No guns allowed at NRA convention when Trump, Pence speak

Attendees at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Dallas can carry their firearms – except during the forum where President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence speak Friday.

A White House official said Monday that Trump will attend Friday. Pence had already been slated to speak at Friday’s leadership forum.

The NRA posted a notice on its website saying that the arena will be under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Secret Service during the leadership forum. It’s standard for the Secret Service to bar firearms from being carried into places visited by the people they protect, regardless of state laws. Other prohibited items include toy guns and knives, according to the NRA posting.

Some students at the Parkland, Florida, high school where 17 people were killed in February criticized the NRA on social media for what they see as hypocrisy.

“It’s ironic that they feel they need to ban guns to protect themselves especially after their main philosophy has been more guns equals more protection yet they don’t think they need to protect our kids in the same way,” David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas who has pushed for stricter gun control since the shooting.

Guns were also banned during Trump’s appearance at the NRA’s annual meeting in Atlanta last year.