Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick canceled his speech to the National Rifle Association Convention in Houston, saying he did not want his appearance to bring any "additional pain or grief" to those suffering from the elementary school shooting in Uvalde.
Patrick, a Republican, said in a statement: “After prayerful consideration and discussion with NRA officials, I have decided not to speak at the NRA breakfast this morning. While a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and an NRA member, I would not want my appearance today to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde.
“This is a time to focus on the families, first and foremost.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced that he will not speak in person on Friday afternoon at the convention but will record a videotaped address for the event before returning to Uvalde.
The Hill noted two other Republicans also said they will not attend the convention: Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Both cited scheduling conflicts from before the shooting.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.