---
title: "The NRA’s New President Has Deep Experience With Foreign Arms Sales"
date: "2018-05-07"
modified: "2018-05-07"
authors:
  - name: "Adam Weinstein"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/adamweinstein/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/oliver-north-nra-president/"
categories:
  - "News"
---

# The NRA’s New President Has Deep Experience With Foreign Arms Sales

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/02/18988221-1.jpg>)

Say you're the largest lobbying group in the history of lobbying groups. Sure, your paid membership only accounts for 3% or 4% of all America's [estimated 140 million or so gun owners](<https://news.gallup.com/poll/1645/guns.aspx>), but you are the undisputed loudest voice on firearms in America — serving industry manufacturers, lobbying legislators, and setting the agenda for concerned gun enthusiasts... even as you fight allegations that [you hate schoolkids](<https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/380124-nra-host-criticizes-parkland-students-ahead-of-march-for-our>), [lie and manipulate a lot](<https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-the-nra-manipulates-gun-owners-and-the-media>), [take foreign money for your star-spangled cause](<https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/16/nra-russia-election-donations-fec-investigation-468661>), and [intimidate or talk past opponents rather than attempting to engage them](<https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/03/05/guns-language-parkland-shooting>).

It's time for the membership to pick a new president. Who can possibly navigate your lobby group through this minefield?

Related: Dude, Where’s My Gun Culture? In Search Of Chill At The NRA Annual Meeting »

How about a former Marine who was [convicted](<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/05/oliver-north-iran-contra-affair>) for secretly selling arms to the dreaded Islamic regime in Iran in order to finance an illegal war in Central America?

Who, after his conviction was overturned on a technicality, [ran for Senate and was humiliated by his former fellow Marines](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/10/08/six-veterans-bash-north-push-robb-for-senate/73b23798-064a-4315-b0a4-bde378611a1e/>) in the losing effort?

Who, in search of new grifts, [started a conservative charity that got accused of misusing funds](<https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/03/crew-sean-hannity-freedom-concert-freedom-alliance/>) after he hired the guy who raised money for his legal defense after the Iran thing?

Who eventually found a home in right-wing media, where [he compared a president to Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Hideki Tojo, Mao Zedong, Nikita Khrushchev, Ho Chi Minh for letting gays serve in the American armed forces](<https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/right-wing-vets-torn-dadt-oliver-north/>)?

Who just recently joined up with the founder of Blackwater, who [recently lied his ass off to Congress](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mueller-gathers-evidence-that-2016-seychelles-meeting-was-effort-to-establish-back-channel-to-kremlin/2018/03/07/b6a5fb8c-224b-11e8-94da-ebf9d112159c_story.html?utm_term=.f7720fc5186e>) about his involvement in the Trump-Russia affair, [to pitch a non-government, Tom Clancy-style spy agency that they could run](<https://www.newsweek.com/trump-private-spies-deep-state-735091>)?

https://twitter.com/TravisMannon/status/993545692508491776

Yeah, that guy:

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/02/image-placeholder-title-583.jpg>)

Let's elect him president of the National Rifle Association.

Maybe it's to own the libs. Or [maybe it's just a fuck-you to Jim Webb](<https://fightland.vice.com/blog/democratic-presidential-contender-jim-webb-once-boxed-oliver-north>). Either way, the NRA wins and sane gun owners lose. As always.

**WATCH NEXT:**