NRA Endorses Donald Trump for President

— -- The National Rifle Association endorsed Donald Trump for president at its convention today.

Chris Cox, the executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, made the endorsement immediately before Trump walked on stage.

"Now is the time to unite. If your preferred candidate dropped out of the race, it's time to get over it," Cox said earlier in his remarks.

The news of the endorsement came shortly before Trump addressed the group at their convention in Kentucky.

Trump almost immediately pounced on Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, saying "crooked Hillary" is "anti-gun" and “wants to take your guns away” if elected. He also said deadly mass shootings like the recent one in San Bernardino, California, could be avoided if more people were armed.

"The Second Amendment is under a threat like never before," Trump said. "Crooked Hillary Clinton is the most anti-gun ... candidate ever to run for office. And, as I said before, she wants to abolish the Second Amendment. She wants to take your guns away. She wants to abolish it.”

He also reiterated his policy promise to eliminate gun-free zones, which exist at some schools and at military bases.

"We're getting rid of gun-free zones, I can tell you," he said today.

Trump has spoken about his support of the Second Amendment regularly on the campaign trail and is a gun owner himself.