Supporters of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) cheered on Thursday as organizers of the annual conservative gathering held outside of Washington, D.C., mentioned the National Rifle Association (NRA) as one of the key sponsors.
The response for the mention of the NRA underscores the strong support the gun rights group has among conservative activists as the gun control debate takes center stage following a mass shooting at a Florida high school.
The NRA is a long-time sponsor of CPAC and its top executive, Wayne LaPierre, is expected to speak at the event. The group also has a booth set up to film its NRA TV live from the event.
The issue of gun control is dominating political discussions after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., when a gunman opened fire last week.
The NRA has been relatively quiet since the attack, sending spokeswoman Dana Loesch to a CNN town hall Wednesday featuring survivors of the shooting.
President Trump, who counted the NRA as one of his strongest supporters during the 2016 campaign, has signaled support for raising age restrictions on certain gun purchases, a plan opposed by the NRA.