Wayne LaPierre CPAC Speech: NRA CEO Blames Media For Anti-Gun Agenda

The National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre slammed reporters for undermining the Second Amendment during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland Friday. "Take back the country from the liars, the cheats and the press," he told Republicans gathered at the high-profile GOP event.

LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the NRA, is a frequent speaker at the annual event that draws thousands of conservative activists, Republicans and tea party activists to hear politicians, presidential hopefuls and business leaders discuss a conservative agenda. LaPierre also is a known critic of the U.S. media. "The media: they're in on the con. They're on the gravy train," he said Friday.

His message during last year's CPAC was similar. "The NRA's 5 million members and America’s 100 million gun owners won't back down, not now, not ever," LaPierre said at the time. "Our Second Amendment in this country separates us from any other country on earth. It makes us better than other countries and it makes us stronger than other countries."

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also was expected to speak Friday at the CPAC event. The likely 2016 presidential contender hopes to win over Republicans skeptical of his moderate platform. CPAC is funded by the NRA, the Heritage Foundation, the Trump Organization and the Motion Picture Association of America.

LaPierre is an outspoken gun advocate. He wrote an editorial Friday that said President Barack Obama "and nearly every politician and gun-ban zealot pushing for a universal background check system are on record supporting mandatory gun registration, outright bans and even confiscation. To them, 'universal background checks' are just the first step in their long march to destroying our Second Amendment-protected rights."