CRI听力:Trump to NRA: The 'assault' on gun rights is over

On the eve of his 100-day mark in office, US President Donald Trump has used a speech to the National Rifle Association's annual convention to revisit some of his campaign rhetoric, including his support for gun rights, as well as his vow to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

"For too long Washington has gone after law abiding gun owners while making life easier for criminals, drug dealers, traffickers and gang members."

Speaking at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting on Friday, Donald Trump has told the powerful US gun lobby group that an eight-year assault on gun rights during the Obama era had come to a crashing end.

"So let me make a simple promise to every one of the freedom-loving Americans in the audience today. As your president, I will never ever infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms, never ever."

Trump was the first sitting president to address the group since Ronald Reagan in 1983.

He outlined a series of actions he has taken which he says are aimed at defending gun rights, including nominating Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

During his election campaign, Trump's pledge to appoint conservative judges, as well as his description of Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton as anti-gun, earned him enormous backing from the NRA.

The organization poured millions into pro-Trump advertising during the campaign.

Since taking office, Trump has taken some steps to roll back certain Obama-era gun restrictions, including signing a measure in February to reverse a rule banning gun sales to certain mentally ill people.

However, most observers suggest its unlikely Trump is going to take larger steps to revise the current gun laws, despite the creation of a conservative majority on the US Supreme Court following the appointment of Neil Gorsuch.

Addressing the largely partisan Republican crowd at the NRA's annual meeting, Trump has also taken time to promote his signature campaign promise of building a wall along the southern US border with Mexico.

"And by the way, we will build the wall, no matter how low this number gets or how high. Don't even think about it. Don't even think about it. You know, they're trying to use this number against us because we've done so unbelievably at the borders already they're trying to use it against us but you need that wall to stop the human trafficking, to stop the drugs, to stop the wrong people, you need the wall. But listen to this, we've already seen a 73 percent decrease, never happened before. In illegal immigration, on the southern border since my election, 73 percent."

In making the pledge, Trump failed to say how the multi-billion US dollar endeavor would be paid for, or when it might begin.

The latest estimate suggests construction the border wall is likely to cost around 70-billion US dollars.

For CRI, this is Ding Heng.