- Several Republican lawmakers have pulled out of attending the NRA's upcoming event in Texas.
- They cited reasons unrelated to the Texas school shooting for why they were missing the convention.
- Former President Donald Trump has doubled down on his commitment to attending the event.
Two Republican lawmakers confirmed on Wednesday that they would not be attending an upcoming event hosted by the National Rifle Association in Houston, Texas.
However, the reasons they cited for missing the NRA's leadership conference this weekend were unrelated to Tuesday's mass shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Politico reported on Wednesday that Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw will still be in Ukraine at the time of the conference. Justin Discigil, a spokesperson for Crenshaw, told Politico that Crenshaw had informed the NRA's organizers before the shooting occurred that he would not be back in time for the conference.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Texas Sen. John Cornyn also confirmed to Politico that the senator would not be speaking at the event and that organizers were notified before the shooting took place. In Cornyn's case, the spokesperson cited an "unexpected change in his schedule."
"He now has to be in D.C. for personal reasons on Friday," Drew Brandewie, Cornyn's spokesperson, told Politico.
As of press time, both Crenshaw and Cornyn were still listed as scheduled speakers at the event.
Other significant Republicans like former President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott, and Sen. Ted Cruz, are all scheduled to speak at the event, which kicks off on Friday.
Cruz was slammed by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for planning to speak at the conference.
"Aren't you slated to headline a speaking gig for the NRA in three days — in Houston, no less? You can do more than pray," Ocasio-Cortez wrote in response to Cruz's tweet stating that he was "fervently lifting up in prayer the children and families in the horrific shooting in Uvalde."
Newsweek reported that Abbott skirted the question when asked if he planned to call off his appearance at the NRA event on Friday, saying: "I'm living moment to moment right now, my heart, my head, and my body are in Uvalde right now and I'm here to help the people who are hurting."
Meanwhile, Trump has doubled down on his commitment to attending the event.
"America needs real solutions and real leadership in this moment, not politicians and partisanship," the former president wrote on TRUTH Social. "That's why I will keep my longtime commitment to speak in Texas at the NRA Convention and deliver an important address to America."
The NRA has blamed the shooting on a "lone, deranged criminal" and indicated that the annual meeting will go ahead as planned. However, the group is not allowing any firearms on the event premises, citing Secret Service safety restrictions.