A man was removed from the audience at President Donald Trump’s speech to the National Rifle Association after tossing his cellphone toward the stage.
The phone flew toward one side of the lectern as Trump was approaching from the other side. The president proceeded with his speech without delay.
Witnesses said the man appeared to be a supporter of the president.
The incident happened as Trump told the crowd 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.
The NRA spent millions of dollars to help elect Trump in 2016 but had a much lower profile during the 2018 midterms. It’s unclear how visible the NRA will be in 2020 after a series of mass shootings that has hardened public sentiment against gun violence.
But Trump disagrees with those who say the NRA is getting weaker. He tweets that the NRA is “getting stronger & stronger and doing some really great and important work.”
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The Associated Press
