Trump suggests NRA relocate to Texas after NY lawsuit

President Trump on Thursday suggested the National Rifle Association (NRA) relocate to Texas following a lawsuit from the New York attorney general seeking to dissolve the gun rights group.

“I just heard about that. That’s a very terrible thing that just happened,” Trump said of the lawsuit while speaking with reporters outside the White House. “I think the NRA should move to Texas and lead a very good and beautiful life. And I’ve told them that for a long time.”

Trump added that Texas, which has a history of embracing gun rights, would be “a great place and an appropriate place for the NRA.” The organization is currently headquartered in Fairfax, Va., but is chartered as a nonprofit in New York state.

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on Thursday announced a lawsuit that aims to dissolve the NRA, alleging that the powerful pro-gun interest group violated state law governing nonprofit organizations, contributing to a loss of more $64 million over three years.

The civil suit alleges that the NRA and four of its top officials, including Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, diverted millions of dollars away from its charitable mission and instituted “a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement and negligent oversight.”

Experts said the lawsuit will likely take years to fully play out, and the associated costs and potential rulings could put the NRA’s future in jeopardy.

The NRA is the nation’s largest gun rights group, and it has been prominent in advocating against restrictions on gun ownership and expanded background checks in the wake of several mass shootings in recent years.

Trump has been an ardent supporter of the organization, speaking at its annual meetings both before and after taking office in 2017.