Lt. Col. Oliver North

OLIVER NORTH: IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK, THANK YOU.
IT’S BEEN A FEW YEARS.

MARGARET HOOVER: ITS BEEN 47 YEARS EXACTLY.  AND YOU WERE A MARINE CAPTAIN IN 1971 WHEN WILLIAM F BUCKLEY JR INTRODUCED YOU THIS WAY:

BUCKLEY: CAPTAIN OLIVER NORTH, AGE 27, IS A GRADUATE OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY AT ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND. HIS MAJOR COURSE OF STUDY WAS FOREIGN AFFAIRS. AFTER GRADUATING AS AN HONOR STUDENT, HE SERVED FOR NINE AND A HALF MONTHS AS A RIFLE PLATOON COMMANDER FROM SOUTH OF DA NANG TO THE DMZ. HE HAS BEEN AWARDED THE SILVER STAR FOR GALLANTRY AND A BRONZE STAR FOR HEROIC ACTION. HE IS ALSO THE RECIPIENT OF TWO PURPLE HEARTS FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN CONDUCT — IN COMBAT. HE INTENDS TO MAKE THE MARINE CORPS A CAREER. 

MARGARET HOOVER: AND YOU’VE HAD QUITE A CAREER SINCE THEN.
COL. NORTH HAS SINCE THAT TIME BEEN A POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, A TELEVISION HOST, A MILITARY HISTORIAN, AUTHOR, AND PERHAPS MOST FAMOUSLY, THE NATIONAL SECURITY STAFF MEMBER DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION WHO TESTIFIED ABOUT THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY IN THE IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION SELECTED COL. NORTH AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT. COL. NORTH LEADS THE NRA AS IT’S FACING NEW CHALLENGES.
NEW YORK GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO HAS PURSUED FINANCIAL SANCTIONS AGAINST THE ORGANIZATION.
THE ORGANIZATION REPORTS DECLINES IN MEMBERSHIP, AND RECENT REVELATIONS HAVE IMPLICATED THE NRA IN THE FIGHT OVER RUSSIAN INFLUENCE IN AMERICAN POLITICS.
BUT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE COL. NORTH FACES IS RESPONDING TO THE SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS.
AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT CLAIMS 5.5 MILLION MEMBERS 

AND VAST POLITICAL INFLUENCE, THE NRA’S RESPONSE TO THESE CHALLENGES IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE.
COL. NORTH, ONCE AGAIN, WELCOME BACK TO “FIRING LINE.”

OLIVER NORTH: GREAT. THANK YOU, MARGARET.

MARGARET HOOVER: YOU HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THIS POSITION, AS THE HEAD OF THE NRA, WHICH IS THE EXACT SAME POSITION CHARLTON HESTON HAD.

OLIVER NORTH: YES.

MARGARET HOOVER: WHAT IS YOUR MISSION?

OLIVER NORTH: WELL, UNLIKE MOSES, I’M A MARINE.
SO MY MISSION IS TO FIRST OF ALL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, PARTICULARLY THE FOCUS ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT.
NUMBER TWO, 

I HAVE A GOAL OF DOUBLING THE NRA MEMBERSHIP BY 2020 FOR ALL THE OBVIOUS REASONS.
AND NUMBER 3 WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT DEALS WITH ONE OF THE ISSUES YOU MADE AND THAT’S SCHOOL SAFETY.
WE’RE THE ONLY PEOPLE IN AMERICA, THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTRY, THAT SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF PROTECTING KIDS IN PLACES WHERE THEY LEARN, OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE, AMERICA’S CHILDREN.
NO ONE ELSE IS DOING THIS, BUT WE GO ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, PROVIDING RESOURCES TO THE SCHOOL AND TO THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ON 

ISSUES OF VULNERABILITY IN THE SCHOOL, HOW TO TRAIN OTHERS TO LOOK FOR THESE THINGS, AND THEN, IF THEY NEED THEM, GRANTS IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE REPAIRS OR FIXES THEY NEED TO MAKE. SO THOSE ARE MY THREE CHARGES RIGHT NOW.
OBVIOUSLY YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE. MEDIA FOLKS UH WHO GET THINGS WRONG VERY OFTEN IN THE AFTERMATH OF A — A SHOOTING. ALMOST ANY TIME SOMEBODY PULL A TRIGGER, THE NRA GETS BLAMED FOR IT.

MARGARET HOOVER: IT HAS BECOME AN INTENSELY AND  INCREASINGLY POLARIZED POLITICAL ISSUE, UM NOT JUST THE SECOND AMENDMENT, BUT I THINK THE NRA.
AND AS WE GO INTO A

 POLITICAL CYCLE, I MEAN IT’S ONE MONTH BEFORE A CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION IN 2018, I’D LIKE TO FOCUS FIRST ON THE POLITICS AND THEN WE’LL GET TO THE SCHOOL SHIELD PROGRAM. BECAUSE THAT’S — I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BOTH OF THEM.
THERE WAS A REPORT THAT WAS ISSUED, RATHER RECENTLY, THAT THE NRA, THIS POLITICAL CYCLE, HAS SPENT ONLY 10 PERCENT 

OF WHAT IT SPENT IN THE PREVIOUS OFF-YEAR ELECTION CYCLE, 2014-2018.
UH THE DIFFERENCE IS  $1.6 MILLION THIS POLITICAL CYCLE AND $16 MILLION IN 2014 OFF-YEAR ELECTION

 CYCLE.
THE THING THAT STRIKES ME MOST ABOUT THE POLITICAL CLIMATE THIS TIME AROUND IS THERE SEEMS TO BE AN INCREDIBLY WELL-FUNDED AND WELL-ORGANIZED OPPOSITION TO THE NRA IN THIS POLITICAL CYCLE.
AND I WONDER WHAT THE NRA IS DOING ABOUT THAT?

OLIVER NORTH: WELL AND EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS ACCURATE UH
EXCEPT, EARLY IN THE INTRODUCTION, WE’VE LOST MEMBERSHIP.
WE — WE DROPPED A LITTLE BIT BEFORE I WAS PRESIDENT.
AND I’M NOT CLAIMING THE REASON FOR THIS, BUT OUR MEMBERSHIP HAS GROWN EVERY MONTH SINCE I’VE BEEN PRESIDENT.
AND IT CONTINUES TO DO SO.

LE — LET’S GO TO THE ISSUES.
THE NRA IS DESCRIBED BY MANY OTHERS AS SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT IT IS .
WE ARE AN ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION.
OUR JOB IS TO EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY.
WE START WITH THE EDDY EAGLE PROGRAM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND WE GO UP THROUGH THE SCHOOL SHIELD PROGRAM,
NUMBER TWO, WE TEACH FIREARM SAFETY AND
FIREARMS INSTRUCTION.
WE HAVE 13,000 FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS FOR AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT.
OKAY?
THE POLITICAL ATTACK THAT’S LAUNCHED AGAINST US IS  COMPLETELY OFF BASE.
FIRST OF ALL, THEY CALL THEMSELVES GUN CONTROL ADVOCATES.
THEY ARE NOT.
THE TRUTH OF IT IS, THAT THEY ARE THE DISARMAMENT MOVEMENT IN AMERICA.

MARGARET HOOVER: SO TO BE FAIR OF THEM THEY’LL SAY THAT THEY’RE IN FAVOR OF REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS AND WE’LL TALK ABOUT —
WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NRA’S BUDGET, IN  2016 ACCORDING TO THE NRA TAX FILINGS THE NRA SPENT 47 MILL IN EDUCATIONAL  ACTIVITIES  AND 412 MILLION DOLLARS ON ADVOCACY – THAT’S NEARLY TEN TIMES AS MUCH. IF WE COULD JUST STICK ON THE POLITICS – 

WHY ISN’T THE NRA SPENDING MORE MONEY THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

OLIVER NORTH: VERY SIMPLY, WE DON’T HAVE IT.
I MEAN, OUR FUNDRAISING IS DOWN LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE LAWSUITS LAUNCHED THAT HAVE BEEN AGAINST US, AND IF WE HAD MORE MONEY WE’D BE SPENDING IT ON GETTING GOOD CONSERVATIVES ELECTED.
PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THE SECOND AMENDMENT, THAT’S WHAT WE NEED..

WE’RE UNDER ATTACK LIKE NEVER BEFORE, IT’S UNPRECEDENTED. THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE BY THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, BY THE DEEP POCKETS OF MICHAEL BLOOMBERG AND GEORGE SOROS AND TOM STEYER, OUTSPENDING US

 — IT WOULD BE LOVELY
TO HAVE THEIR NUMBERS ON WHAT THEY’RE 

SPENDING ON THIS ELECTION. AND WE’RE TRYING TO RECOVER THE LOSSES

MARGARET HOOVER: ARE — ARE YOU SAYING THE — THE STRATEGY THAT THE OPPONENTS — IS WORKING AGAINST THE NRA?

OLIVER NORTH:WELL THE — THE DEFUND THE NRA BY TH –, IF YOU WILL, THE 

DISARMAMENT MOVEMENT IN AMERICA, HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE.

MARGARET HOOVER: WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FACE A DEMOCRATIC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NRA?

OLIVER NORTH: YOU — I’M SURE YOU’LL BE READING OUR MAIL COMING OUT SAYING, IT’S
NOT JUST DEMOCRATS, IT’S THE CRAZY DEMOCRATS, THAT THIS–

IF YOU WILL, AND I CALL IT WHAT IT IS.

 THE DISARMAMENT MOVEMENT —

MARGARET HOOVER: BECAUSE DEMOCRATS USED TO SUPPORT THE NRA. I MEAN — 

OLIVER NORTH: OF COURSE.

MARGARET HOOVER: THERE WAS — I MEAN –– I THINK ABOUT IN 2006 WHEN DEMOCRATS TOOK BACK THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THEY DID IT BY GOING AND RECRUITING DEMOCRATS WHO WERE PRO NRA.

OLIVER NORTH: RIGHT.
NAME FIVE. I MEAN, LOOK WHAT’S HAPPENED.

THEY PERCEIVE IT’S GOING TO BE A BLUE TSUNAMI, OR WHATEVER THEY WANT TO CALL IT.
I PERCEIVE THAT WE — WE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY 

MARGARET HOOVER: UH-HUH.

OLIVER NORTH: BUT WE GOT THE VOTES. WE, THE PEOPLE, STILL GOVERN IN AMERICA.

MARGARET HOOVER: YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE VOTES TO HOLD THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES?

OLIVER NORTH: WE’RE PRAYING WE DO. AND I’M ASKING EVERY NRA MEMBER TO GO OUT AND FIND

 ANOTHER NRA MEMBER WHO’S GOING TO VOTE IN THEIR DISTRICT TO HOLD THE HOUSE AND THE HANDS OF — 

MARGARET HOOVER: WHAT HAPPENS IF THE DEMOCRATS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE TO THE NRA?

OLIVER NORTH: MY GUESS IS THE FIRST THING THEY DO IS IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT.

AND THE THE SECOND THING THEY DO IS INTRODUCE RESOLUTIONS TO REPEAL THE SECOND AMENDMENT. THEY WANT TO WRECK THE NRA.
ANY ONE OF THESE MAJOR LAWSUITS AGAINST US COULD DO THAT.

MARGARET HOOVER: DO THEY WANT TO WRECK THE NRA OR — ?

OLIVER NORTH: SURE.

MARGARET HOOVER: DO THEY WANT TO CHANGE THE MEANING OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT?

OLIVER NORTH:
THEY WANT TO REPEAL THE SECOND AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE’VE GOT ADVOCATES OUT THERE SAYING THAT, THAT PEOPLE LIKE STEYER 

AND BLOOMBERG AND SOROS ARE SUPPORTING, RIGHT?
IF THEY GET ENOUGH OF THEM AND REPLACE THE PRO 

SECOND AMENDMENT MAJORITY THAT WE HAVE IN THE HOUSE, THEY WILL IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT.
THEY’VE ALREADY MADE THAT CLEAR.
I MEAN, THEIR BATTLE PLAN IS OUT THERE.
THEY WILL DESTROY THE NRA, LEGALLY, FINANCIAL, POLITICALLY.
AND THIRD, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY WILL HAVE REPEALED THE SECOND AMENDMENT.
AT THAT POINT, NO AMERICAN HAS THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS.
AND YOU WILL SEE STATE BY STATE PROPOSALS TO SEIZE THE FIREARMS THAT ARE HELD BY THOSE 100 MILLION AMERICANS.

MARGARET HOOVER: HAS THE NRA FACED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE?

OLIVER NORTH: NO, NO. WELL IF YOU WILL, IN 

1871, WHEN THE NRA WAS CHARTERED, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT ALL HAPPENED — BY THE WAY, HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, RIGHT?
THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB IS WHERE THEY SAT AND NEGOTIATED IT, AND IT WAS CHARTERED HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, BECAUSE THERE WAS A MOVEMENT TO DISARM CERTAIN PEOPLE IN AMERICA, PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTH, WHO ARE NOW CITIZENS AND WHO HAVE THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS.
AND IT WAS THE NRA THAT CAME IN, SAID, WAIT A SECOND, JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY IS A PARTICULAR COLOR THEY CAN’T

 HAVE A FIREARM?
WELL, THEY COULDN’T BEFORE 1870, 1860, 

RIGHT?
AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE CAME IN TO SUPPORT THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE WHO HADN’T BEEN CITIZENS —

MARGARET HOOVER: ON THE WEBSITE —

OLIVER NORTH: WHO NOW CAN POSSESS A FIREARM.

MARGARET HOOVER: BUT ON THE — ON THE NRA WEBSITE, IT SAYS THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE NRA WAS CREATED TO IMPROVE MARKSMANSHIP.

OLIVER NORTH: YES.

MARGARET HOOVER: OF EX-CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS ON THE NORTH SIDE.

OLIVER NORTH: WELL IT WASN’T JUST EX. IT WAS THE NEXT GENERATION OF SHOOTERS.
BECAUSE WHAT THOSE UNION GENERALS WHO FORMED THE NRA FOUND OUT IS, 1, THE YANKEES COULDN’T SHOOT.
OKAY?
AND — AND WHEN THEY DID THEY FIRED

 A LOT MORE BULLETS THAN THE SOUTHERN BOYS AND INFLICTED FEWER CASUALTIES.

MARGARET HOOVER: BUT YOU’RE SAYING IT STARTED AS A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION TO ARM AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO WERE NEWLY FORMED CITIZENS.

OLIVER NORTH: THAT WAS ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES. THE PRIMARY OBJETIVE PUT DOWN — YOU’VE READ — OBVIOUSLY THE — THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS OF THE NRA WAS TO TEACH MARKSMANSHIP.
WE STILL DO.
WE — MOST AMERICANS WHO HAVE A FIREARM AND WHO’VE GOT ONE BEFORE THE 1970s, HAD IT BECAUSE AN NRA INSTRUCTOR TEACHED — TAUGHT THEIR BOY SCOUT TROOP, THEIR LOCAL UH RANGE, THEIR CONSERVATION,  THE NRA INSTRUCTORS.

MARGARET HOOVER: THE NRA, LIKE MANY ORGANIZATIONS

TENDS TO THRIVE IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY.

OLIVER NORTH: YEAH.

MARGARET HOOVER: AND WHEN ITS MEMBERS FEEL LIKE ITS RIGHTS AND THE THINGS THAT IT BELIEVES IN ARE MOST UNDER THREAT, UH THIS CAN SERVE AS A RALLYING CRY TO GIN UP MEMBERSHIP.
DO YOU THINK THERE IS A — AN UPSIDE OR A SILVER LINING TO THE DEFENSIVE POSTURE YOU HAVE POLITICALLY IN THIS MOMENT?
THAT — THAT THIS MIGHT CREATE A CLIMATE WHERE YOU CAN HIT YOUR FUNDRAISING GOALS AND YOUR MEMBERSHIP

 DRIVE GOALS?

OLIVER NORTH: W — LET’S MAKE NEWS.  TOP SECRET.
EVERY LETTER YOU GET FROM THE NRA IS A MEMBERSHIP LETTER OR A FUNDRAISING LETTER, OKAY?
THAT’S — THAT’S WHAT WE DO.
AND IT’S ADVOCACY.
WE’RE — WE’RE TRYING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE TO THE — THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACE, IF THEY’RE A FIREARMS OWNER AND THE REASON WHY THEY OUGHT TO BE MEMBERS 

AND THE REASON WHY PEOPLE OUGHT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION, THAT’S WHAT IT IS.

MARGARET HOOVER:  SO I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY A CLIP FROM THE ORIGINAL “FIRING LINE,” WHICH AIRED IN 1980.
AND THIS WAS A PROGRAM ABOUT GUN RIGHTS.
AND I THINK 

YOU WILL RECOGNIZE SOME OF THESE ARGUMENTS.

MR BUCKLEY: If we didn’t sell another handgun beginning tomorrow, you’d still have 45 million handguns in this country.  

The notion that someone who desires to put his hand on a handgun can ever be made difficult is almost as preposterous as to say as that one can keep people from smoking marijuana, which is also illegal.

SHERIFF BUCKLEY: But that’s a defeatist attitude. I think if we stop now and we have 45 million handguns

 floating around, and we put a restriction, say, “all right of you have your handgun, register it, but no more registrations — and 

MR. BUCKLEY: don’t take it from your home.

SHERIFF BUCKLEY: That’s right: “We’re cutting it off here.” 

We would begin to see less violence in our society in two years, five years, twenty years.

MR. CARTER: I do agree with Sheriff Buckley that if there were no handguns no one would get shot with handguns, but the reality is that we do have them and historically, we should start with some contemplation of human nature and what goes on.

MARGARET HOOVER: RIGHT. 

SO?

OLIVER NORTH: ONE OF MY PREDECESSORS.

MARGARET HOOVER: THIS IS ONE OF YOUR PREDECESSORS MAKING THE SAME ARGUMENT 

OLIVER NORTH: YES. 

MARGARET HOOVER: THIS IS A COUNTRY THAT HAS A SECOND AMENDMENT, AND IF YOU GOT RID OF GUNS, YOU WOULD CERTAINLY GET RID OF GUN VIOLENCE. BUT WE HAVE A SECOND AMENDMENT

OLIVER NORTH: LOOK, AGAIN, LET’S GO BACK TO — YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO BACK TO HARLON CARTER AND BILL BUCKLEY AND THE LEFT, YOU CAN GO TO SENATOR FEINSTEIN, WHEN YOU’VE GOT A UNITED STATES SENATOR ADVOCATING CONFISCATION, OF WHAT HAD BEEN, UP UNTIL THE MOMENT SHE’D GOT 

A LAW PASSED, ILLEGAL.
WHY IN THE HECK WOULD YOU DO IT?

HOW COULD YOU, IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN AMERICA, MAKE SOMETHING, QUOTE, ILLEGAL?

MARGARET HOOVER: THE DIFFERENCE IS, IN THAT CLIP, IT WAS A SHERIFF ADVOCATING FOR CONFISCATION.

OLIVER NORTH: I UNDERSTAND.
AND I’LL  BET THAT SHERIFF IS NO LONGER IN OFFICE.
WHAT I’M SUGGESTING IS, WE NEED — LOOK AT, SHERIFFS RUN FOR OFFICE.
ONE OF THE REASONS THE NRA HAS MADE GREAT INROADS IN SCHOOL SHIELD IN GETTING INTO SCHOOLS IS BECAUSE SHERIFFS ARE ELECTED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, 

AND THEIR COUNTIES.

MARGARET HOOVER: WHY AREN’T MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT 

OFFICIALS ON THE SIDE OF THE NRA?

OLIVER NORTH: YOU WANT THE TRUTH?

MARGARET HOOVER: YEAH.

OLIVER NORTH: OKAY.
MOST BIG CITY MAYORS ARE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS.
MOST BIG CITY MAYORS ARE THE ONES WHO NAME THE CHIEFS OF POLICE OF MOST POLICE IN AMERICA.  WE HAVE ENORMOUS BACKING FROM THE POLICE–

MARGARET HOOVER: MOST BIG CITY MAYORS AREN’T DEEPLY IDEOLOGICAL, MOST OF THEM, ARE NOT, DONT RUN AS REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS.  RIGHT? ITS THE OLD ADAGE, YOU’VE GOT TO FILL THE POT HOLES AND TAKE OUT THE TRASH.  YOU’VE GOT TO SECURE THE CITY.

OLIVER NORTH: THATS THE SHERIFFS.  THATS THE SHERIFFS.  BUT LOOK – THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE.

MARGARET HOOVER: NOT RIGHT NOW HE’S NOT FOR SURE

OLIVER NORTH: AND HIS PREDECESSOR MR BLOOMBERG WAS NOT A CONSERVATIVE.  GIULIANI WAS.

MARGARET HOOVER: CAN YOU HELP ARTICULATE WHAT THREAT PRESIDENT OBAMA, HILLARY CLINTON, AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY POSE TO SECOND AMENDMENT FREEDOMS?

OLIVER NORTH: WELL, I — WOULD SAY THAT SINCE THEY LEFT, BECAUSE WE DID GET ACCOMMODATION

 FROM SOME OF THEM, BUT SINCE THEY LEFT, WHAT’S HAPPENED IS THAT THE NRA IS NOW BEING CASTIGATED, EVERY TIME — YOU USE THE ISSUE OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, OKAY? WE GET CASTIGATED AS SOMEHOW RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
THAT IS OUTRAGEOUSLY UNFAIR.
BECAUSE THERE’S NO OTHER ORGANIZATION IN THE C — IN THE COUNTRY, NOT A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION, NOT  A — A MEDIA CONGLOMERATE, NOT A POLITICAL ENTITY THAT WILL BACK THE IDEA OF PROTECTING OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL.
WE’RE DOING IT. WE’RE DOING IT. THE SCHOOL SHIELD PROGRAM IS A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF HOW WE COOPERATE WITH COMMUNITIES ALL OVER AMERICA AND WE GIVE AWAY MONEY FROM OUR FOUNDATION. NOW DAMMIT, THERE’S GOT TO BE A REASON WHY OTHERS WON’T ALLOW US TO SAY THAT ON TV, OR COVER THIS KIND OF PROGRAM.

MARGARET HOOVER: SO THE — SO IT’S — IT IS THE — THE NATIONAL SCHOOL SHIELD EMERGENCY PLAN.

OLIVER NORTH: RIGHT.

MARGARET HOOVER: THAT WAS PUBLISHED AFTER SANDY HOOK.

OLIVER NORTH: YES.

MARGARET HOOVER: SO FIVE YEARS SINCE SANDY HOOK

OLIVER NORTH: YEAH.

MARGARET HOOVER: YOU HAVE FORTIFIED MORE THAN 150 SCHOOLS.

OLIVER NORTH: YES.

MARGARET HOOVER:
YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT IT AND SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND
I KNOW YOU SAY IT’S A, IT’S A CUSTOMIZED APPROACH.

OLIVER NORTH: IT IS.

MARGARET HOOVER: YOU HAVE TO EVALUATE EVERY SCHOOL.
AND THEN YOU USE

YOUR RESOURCES IN ORDER TO, FOR LACK OF A

 BETTER WORD, HARDEN THE TARGET.

OLIVER NORTH: SURE.
AND AND WE TRAIN ASSESSORS TO, SO WE DON’T HAVE TO KEEP GOING BACK TO THOSE SAME SCHOOLS, WE TRAIN THOSE WHO ARE NOW AWARE OF WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, AND HOW TO KEEP EVALUATING THEM.
BUT WE ALSO NEED, IF YOU WILL, THE ACTIVISTS ON THE OTHER SIDE TO BACK OFF.
BECAUSE THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN SIMPLY GIVING GUNS TO  TEACHERS.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT SAYS, WE’RE HERE TO HELP PROTECT YOUR KIDS.

MARGARET HOOVER: IT’S A DIVERSE PROGRAM. I MEAN IT INCLUDES SORT OF CUTTING SHRUBBERY.
IT RECOMMENDS AGAINST 

PARKING LOTS.
IT RECOMMENDS CERTAIN KINDS OF WINDOWS.
IT RECOMMENDS CERTAIN KINDS OF FENCES.

OLIVER NORTH: YEAH.

MARGARET HOOVER: ALL OF THESE KINDS OF THINGS THAT CAN PROTECT IT.
THE — THE CRITICISM OF COURSE IS THAT IT CREATES A PRISON-LIKE ENVIRONMENT FOR SCHOOLS, BUT —

OLIVER NORTH: BEEN ON AN AIRPLANE LATELY?
I WAS JUST UP IN — YOU KNOW, TO THE HALLS OF CONGRESS HERE JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
YOU GOT METAL DETECTORS YOU GOT TO WALK THROUGH, YOU GOT TO PUT YOUR BAG THROUGH AN X-RAY MACHINE.
GO — GO TO ANY PUBLIC SPORTING EVENT IN AMERICA.
WE’RE NOT HERE TO DEAL WITH HYPOTHETICALS,

 WE’RE DEALING WITH REALITY, JUST LIKE THEY DID WITH HARDENING AIRPORTS.
SO WHEN MY KIDS ARE AS SAFE IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND MY GRANDKIDS ARE SAFE IN SCHOOLS AS I AM WALKING THROUGH THE CORRIDORS OF CONGRESS, I’LL BE HAPPY.
BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY’VE TAKEN THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM AND THEY’VE SPUN IT IN DIRECTIONS, ALL YOU WANT TO DO TO IS HARDEN — TO — TO HARDEN SCHOOLS AND ARM TEACHERS.

NOT TRUE.
TOTALLY UNTRUE.

MARGARET HOOVER:
ARMING PERSONNEL IS PART OF IT, BUT IT’S NOT JUST ARMING TEACHERS, IT’S GUARDED PERSONNEL AND THAT — AND IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE SCHOOL, WHICH YOU  HAVE A CUSTOMIZED APPROACH.

OLIVER NORTH: PEOPLE TRAINED TO DO IT,

 RIGHT?

MARGARET HOOVER: HERE’S — HERE’S A QUESTION:  
WHAT DID THE NRA DO TO REACH OUT TO GENERATION Z, PARKLAND GENERATION, LITERALLY GROWN UP AND THEIR ENTIRE LENSE THROUGH WHICH THEY VIEW THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS PRO NRA, ANTI-NRA, SCHOOL SHOOTING, SAFETY IN SCHOOLS?

OLIVER NORTH: SURE. OKAY. SO

HOW DID — HERE’S THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE END UP CUTTING SMOKING IN AMERICA?
HOW DID WE END UP WITH MOMS AND DADS WANTING TO PUT SEAT BELTS ON?
WE TOLD THE KIDS.
WE TOLD THE KIDS, SMOKING IS BAD.
THE KIDS WENT HOME AND TOLD MOM AND DAD SMOKING IS BAD

 AND MOMS AND DADS QUIT SMOKING.

MARGARET HOOVER: NO BUT THEY ALSO OUTLAWED SMOKING FOR KIDS.

OLIVER NORTH: I UNDERSTAND.
BUT WHAT I’M SAYING IS —

MARGARET HOOVER: AND THEY ALSO HAD RESTRICTIONS ON SMOKING.

OLIVER NORTH: SOCIETY BOOM PROGRAM BAM MANDATORY IN 50 STATES TO WEAR SEAT BELTS.
STILL A LOT DIDN’T, A LOT DO TODAY BECAUSE KIDS WENT HOME AND TOLD MOM AND DAD.
GUESS WHAT, KIDS, THE EDDY EAGLE 

PROGRAM IS COMING BACK BIG.
WE’RE GOING TO START WHEN YOU’RE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REMINDING YOU, IF YOU FIND A GUN, FIND AN ADULT, TELL THEM ABOUT IT, DON’T TOUCH IT.
RIGHT?
AND WE’RE KEEP DOING SCHOOL SHIELD UNTIL WE MAKE SURE WE’VE GOT AT LEAST THE MAJORITY

 OF OUR SCHOOL KIDS PROTECTED IN THE 130,000 SCHOOLS IN AMERICA, THAT’S ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND HIGH SCHOOL.
IF WE CAN DO THAT KIND OF THING, WE CAN CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF THE NRA AND STILL SUPPORT THE SECOND AMENDMENT THAT’S RIGHT THERE ON THE WALL, FIRST AMENDMENT’S RIGHT THERE, SOME OF THE RIGHT THERE, SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHT AFTER IT, NEEDS TO BE ON THE WALL AS WELL .

MARGARET HOOVER:  YOU JUST SAID “REGULATIONS” ARE WHAT HELPS WITH SMOKING AND SEAT BELTS.
AND THE GUN CONTROL ADVOCATES WOULD SAY THAT IT IS PRECISELY THAT, ITS THAT GOVERNMENT HAS REGULATED GUNS.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE LANGUAGE OF 

REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS ON GUNS?

OLIVER NORTH: WELL WHAT I SAID WAS THE KIDS–

MARGARET HOOVER: THEY SAY THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO REGULATE GUNS.

OLIVER NORTH: OK, ALRIGHT, BUT LOOK AT – THE GOVERNMENT ALREADY REGULATES GUNS.
OF THE GOVERNMENT DOES ALL KINDS OF REGULATIONS.
BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT NEW REGULATIONS,
LET’S HAVE THE GOVERNMENT AT EVERY LEVEL OF THIS COUNTRY ENFORCE THE REGULATIONS ON THE BOOKS, LAWS.

MARGARET HOOVER: DOES THAT REQUIRE RESOURCES?

OLIVER NORTH: WELL SURE.

MARGARET HOOVER: HOW COME? WHY AREN’T THEY ENFORCING RULES?

OLIVER NORTH: CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND ASK THEM.

MARGARET HOOVER: BUT IS IT ABOUT ALLOCATING RESOURCES IN THE BUDGET

 IN ORDER TO ENFORCE THE RULES ON THE BOOK?

OLIVER NORTH: WE’RE IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN.
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS THE PRIMARY ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS AND THE PROTECTION OF CITIZENS AGAINST LAW BREAKERS.
REQUIRES RESOURCES FROM THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND STATE OF NEW YORK.

MARGARET HOOVER: BUT, SO, BUT YOU REMIND ME, SINCE WE’RE IN MANHATTAN, THAT ONE OF THE MAYORS, A REPUBLICAN NOW IN THE NATIONAL FIGURE AND NATIONAL EYES, SOMEONE I USED TO WORK FOR RUDY GIULIANI.

OLIVER NORTH: RIGHT.

MARGARET HOOVER: HAD THE MOST SUCCESS ELIMINATING GUN VIOLENCE BY ALSO ELIMINATING GUNS.

OLIVER NORTH: HE TOOK GUNS FROM PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NOT

 HAVE THEM. REMEMBER THE–
HERE’S THE PROBLEM, RIGHT?
THE BROAD BRUSH IDEAS OF MANY IN THE SO-CALLED GUN CONTROL, BUT I CALL DISARMAMENT MOVEMENT, IS THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS IS, LET’S TAKE EVERYBODY’S GUNS THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE THEM.

MARGARET HOOVER: WHICH IS NOT 

REASONABLE STARTING PLACE.

OLIVER NORTH: ISN’T.

MARGARET HOOVER: IN A COUNTRY WITH A SECOND AMENDMENT IN MY VIEW AND THE VIEW OF MANY, MANY PEOPLE.

OLIVER NORTH: I WOULD THINK MOST OF US, BUT POLITICALLY THATS NOT–

MARGARET HOOVER: BUT MANY PEOPLE, I WOULD THINK, WOULD SAY, BY FRAMING IT AS DISARMAMENT MOVEMENT.

OLIVER NORTH:YEAH.

MARGARET HOOVER: UNDERMINES, MAYBE, A CENTER PATH OR ANOTHER WAY THAT IS — HERE’S WHAT IT IS.
YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE GENERATION THAT’S COME UP.
THEY HEAR THE NRA NEGATIVELY IN THE CONTEXT OF SCHOOL  SHOOTINGS.
THE PERCEPTION IS THE NRA DOESN’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND THERE ARE-–

THERE’S NO PATH THAT MAKES SENSE TO THEM THAT FORGES A WAY THROUGH.

OLIVER NORTH: MARGARET, I GIVE YOU THE WORDS OF SENATOR FEINSTEIN, SHE IS THE ONE WHO HELD UP AN M-16 RIFLE, CALLED IT SOMETHING IT WASN’T, AN ASSAULT RIFLE

 AND SAID, IF I COULD GET EVERY ONE OF THE 51 — IF I COULD GET 51 VOTES, EVERY ONE OF THESE GUNS 

WOULD BE OFF THE STREET.
MEANING, WE’RE GOING TO CONFISCATE THEM.
SO WHEN YOU GOT SENATORS IN THE UNITED STATES, WHEN YOU GOT FORMER JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT TALKING IN ADVOCACY ABOUT REPEALING THE SECOND AMENDMENT, YOU ARE DARN RIGHT I’M CONCERNED.
AND THAT’S NOT A POLARIZING POSITION.
THAT’S A REALITY DEALING WITH ANOTHER REALITY .

MARGARET HOOVER: WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUSSIA AND RUSSIANS AND THE NRA OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS?

OLIVER NORTH: UM, HERE’S WHAT I KNOW, AND I MADE SURE I KNEW THIS BEFORE I WAS — BECAME PRESIDENT.
I KNOW THIS:  I KNOW THE NRA DID NOT GET $30 MILLION FROM RUSSIA TO TRANSFER TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
IF ANYBODY KNOWS WHERE THAT MONEY IS, SEND IT TO US, CAUSE WE NEED IT.
NUMBER TWO — NO, NEVER HAPPENED.
NUMBER TWO, THERE WERE TIMES WHEN PEOPLE WHO ARE AT LEAST BEING ACCUSED OF RUSSIAN AGENTS, I HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY ARE, ATTENDED NRA FUNCTIONS, JUST AS THEY ATTENDED

 MANY OTHER FUNCTIONS.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION, CPAC AND WASHINGTON, D.C., THEY ATTENDED ALL OF THEM.
CLEARLY, SOMEONE, WHETHER IT WAS IN THE KGB OR THE SVR OR THE KREMLIN OR JAZINSKY SQUARE SOMEONE WANTED THEM TO TRY TO GET CLOSE TO WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE A WINNING PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.
AT LEAST CLOSE TO CONSERVATIVES AND, THEY ATTENDED A WHOLE BUNCH OF NRA FUNCTIONS.

MARGARET HOOVER: SO OVER THE COURSE OF MANY YEARS, NOT JUST EVEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

IT’S INTERESTING TO ME, COL. NORTH, BECAUSE YOU WERE A MARINE IN VIETNAM.

OLIVER NORTH: SURE.

MARGARET HOOVER:  I MEAN, YOU CAME UP IN THE TIME WHEN THE EXISTENTIAL CHALLENGE TO THIS COUNTRY WAS SOVIET UNION AND COLD WAR FRAMED YOUR EXPERIENCE AND MUCH OF MY EXPERIENCE.
THERE’S A SPLIT NOW, IF SEEMS TO ME, IN THE CONSERVATIVE MOMENT, WHETHER RUSSIA IS GOOD OR BAD ACTOR IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND WHETHER RUSSIA IS ALLY OR ENEMY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?

OLIVER NORTH: WELL, YOU TALKING ABOUT ME, PERSONALLY?

MARGARET HOOVER: YEAH.

>> OLIVER NORTH: NOT SPEAKING FOR THE NRA?

I THINK 

ANYBODY WHO DOES NOT HAVE A DEMOCRACY WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE  OPPORTUNITIES OF CIVIL LIBERTIES LIKE WE DO, WHO HAS OBVIOUSLY KILLED PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES — YOU KNOW, THE BRITS, THEY DON’T MAKE THOSE ACCUSATIONS WITHOUT SOME DEGREE OF AT LEAST… APPRECIATION OF THE THREAT.  THEY’RE NOT ALLIES OF THE UNITED STATES.  THAT WOULD INCLUDE RUSSIA, THAT WOULD INCLUDE CHINA, THAT WOULD INCLUDE… CERTAINLY A GOOD NUMBER OF COUNTRIES, AT LEAST PEOPLE, IN THE MIDDLE EAST. SO LOOK AT THIS… THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS MANY MANY THREATS,

 THERES NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.  

MARGARET HOOVER:  BUT  THE PERCEPTION, OR THE PERCEPTION AND THE CONCERN, THAT THE NRA’s

INTERESTS ARE ALIGNED WITH RUSSIAN INTERESTS, IS

OLIVER NORTH: HOGWASH.

MARGARET HOOVER: BOGUS.

OLIVER NORTH: NO.  OUR INTERESTS ARE ALIGNED COMPLETELY WITH 300 MILLION AMERICANS AND PROTECTING THEIR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS, THATS OUR INTEREST.

MARGARET HOOVER: SO GOVERNOR CUOMO OF NEW YORK, HAS INITIATED A CAMPAIGN TO 

DISCOURAGE COMPANIES FROM  DOING BUSINESS WITH THE NRA IN NEW YORK. AND HE IS ABSOLUTELY RUNNING AGAINST THE NRA TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU HAVE FILED A LAWSUIT DEFENDING YOUR 

FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

OLIVER NORTH: RIGHT.

MARGARET HOOVER: AGAINST THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
AND FIND YOURSELF ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE ISSUE AS THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION.
DOES THAT MAKE YOU COMFORTABLE?

OLIVER NORTH: FOR THE SECOND TIME IN MY LIFE.  IN MY CASE, US V NORTH, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO IRAN CONTRA ISSUES, I WAS ON TRIAL, SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, TOTALLY UNFAIRLY, THE ACLU JOINED US AS AN AMICUS AS OUR CASE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT.  I THINK IT —  THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT WAS NECESSARY.
OURS IS A FIRST AMENDMENT CASE.
WE’RE USING THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT AMERICANS NEED AND WHAT AMERICANS —  HOW AMERICANS BENEFIT FROM THE NRA.
THE — THE COUNTER TO THIS SUIT IS AN ADVOCACY ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK STARTING IT, 

NOW JOINED

 BY THE MONEY FROM BLOOMBERG AND STEYER AND — AND — UH — SOROS.
AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS STIFLE THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF THE NRA TO EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT.
AND WE WANT THE FIRST AMENDMENT BACKERS TO BACK US IN IT AND
THEY HAVE.

MARGARET HOOVER: WHAT DO YOU THINK HE’S TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?

OLIVER NORTH: I THINK HE’S PART OF WHAT CALL THE DISARMAMENT MOMENT.
HE WANTS US TO GO AWAY.
HE WANTS TO PUT US OUT OF BUSINESS.
HE SAID HE’S GOING TO BANKRUPTCY US.
QUITE FRANKLY, THE COST OF THE LAWSUITS COULD, INDEED, DO SERIOUS DAMAGE.