Even with a smaller than usual convention this weekend, the National Rifle Association still kept its status as a mandatory stop for ambitious Republicans, Axios reports. Former President Trump and former Vice President Pence occupied the same stage, albeit without crossing paths, for the first time since leaving office estranged over the events of Jan. 6, 2021 Pence encountered thunderous boos, quipping, "I love you, too," though his speech ended with cheers. "I don't know what you did, but you made news today," Trump told the audience in a 50-minute-plus keynote in which he also called Pence a "nice man." The NRA offered coveted speaking platforms to other select Indiana Republicans, including Gov. Eric Holcomb and Sen. Mike Braun, who is running for governor in 2024.
Trump snubbed Braun from the stage while giving a shout-out to rival gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. Trump also mentioned Congressman Jim Banks, who is running for Senate, and Attorney General Todd Rokita. Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett met Saturday with Moms Demand Action, a group that advocates for firearm restrictions, and noted that Indianapolis is not scheduled to host the group again. The NRA did not release an attendance estimate, but it was expected to be down from 70,000 in 2019 and 75,000 in 2014.