I’ll admit it plainly: I was among the early and unflinching critics when the National Rifle Association’s internal failures came into public view. I wrote about it, spoke about it, and—like many longtime members—wondered how an institution with such a storied history could allow so much to go unchecked. Where was the board? Where was the oversight? How did an organization built on discipline and responsibility drift so far from both?
Those questions weren’t rhetorical at the time. They were rooted in genuine disappointment. For many of us who had supported the NRA for decades, the revelations weren’t just embarrassing—they were disorienting. Trust, once lost, is not easily regained. So like a lot of members, I stepped back. I withheld support. I questioned whether the organization could still be trusted as a steward of its mission or of the resources entrusted to it.
And yet, time has a way of forcing clarity. Institutions either collapse under the weight of their failures, or they confront them, correct course, and emerge stronger. The NRA, after several bruising years, has chosen the latter path.
It had been a long time since I attended the NRA’s annual meeting. This year, with the convention in Houston, I decided it was time to see for myself what remained—and what had changed. What I found was not an organization clinging to its past, but one actively working to redefine its future.
The scale alone was striking. Thousands of attendees filled the convention halls, but more notable than the numbers was the tone. The mood wasn’t defensive or apologetic. It was forward-looking. The controversies that once dominated headlines were not ignored, but neither were they the focal point. The energy had shifted toward rebuilding, re-engaging, and recommitting to purpose.
During the NRA’s darkest stretch, there was no shortage of speculation that another organization might rise to replace it. After all, in today’s fragmented landscape, new groups emerge constantly, each vying to capture attention and allegiance. But that prediction missed a fundamental truth: institutions like the NRA are not easily replicated.
For more than a century and a half, the organization has occupied a unique space at the intersection of culture, politics, and constitutional rights. Its influence is not just a function of lobbying power, but of the millions of Americans who see it as a reflection of their values. That kind of institutional gravity cannot be duplicated overnight—if at all.
Walking the convention floor made that reality tangible. The industry presence was back in full force—large and beautiful exhibits, ambitious product launches, and a sense that innovation had not skipped a beat. Attendees moved through the space with the enthusiasm of people rediscovering something familiar but newly energized. It felt less like a reunion and more like a reset.
Equally notable was the organization’s embrace of change. Leadership is clearly investing in new technologies and modern strategies to communicate, organize, and advocate more effectively. That may sound like a given in 2026, but for a legacy institution, it represents a meaningful shift. Relevance today requires more than tradition; it demands adaptation and innovation.
Just as important, many longtime supporters who had distanced themselves are returning. Not out of blind loyalty, but out of recognition that the stakes remain high. They understand that whatever frustrations they may have had, the broader mission still matters—and that a weakened NRA leaves a vacuum that no other group has proven capable of filling.
The diversity of the crowd underscored another often-overlooked reality. The NRA is not a monolith. It is made up of Americans from every walk of life—young and old, urban and rural, across racial and cultural lines. That breadth was visible on the convention floor and in the conversations happening throughout the event. It’s a reminder that the Second Amendment debate is far more nuanced than it’s often portrayed.
Perhaps the most important shift, however, is within the organization’s leadership. After spending significant time with several board members and the organization’s CEO, Doug Hamlin, I came away with a different impression than I had in years past. There is a seriousness now—a recognition that the credibility of the institution depends on their stewardship. The reforms that once seemed overdue are now actively being implemented, and there is a clear understanding that members are watching closely.
No organization that has endured for 150 years escapes imperfection. From government to business to nonprofits, history is filled with examples of institutions brought low by human failings. The NRA is no exception. But it is also not unique in its capacity for course correction.
What matters now is not the missteps of the past, but the discipline of the present. There is a sense that the organization understands this—that it is choosing to focus not on relitigating what went wrong, but on ensuring it does not happen again.
The NRA today feels like an institution emerging from hibernation. Leaner, more self-aware, and perhaps a bit more cautious—but also hungry. Hungry to reassert its role, to rebuild trust, and to remind both its supporters and its critics why it has endured as long as it has.
There is little question that the organization has played a defining role in shaping the national conversation around rights and responsibility—to say nothing of its influence across the entire political landscape. There is no substitute for the organization, and for that reason alone, millions never left because they knew the NRA not only must survive…it has to thrive.
And for the first time in a while, that no longer feels like an open question.
– Chris Dorsey
Chris Dorsey is an award-winning media pioneer, author, strategist and philanthropist who is the founding partner of Dorsey Pictures, a Global-100 television production company with offices in Los Angeles, Denver and Detroit. He’s executive produced more than 110 television series on 20 cable and broadcast networks spanning his 30-year media career. Most recently, he founded Mission Partners Entertainment Group, a company redefining the world of giant screen/IMAX natural history content and education.