Republican Sen. Ted Cruz’s Friday column went after “coastal elites” attacking the NRA in a column published Friday.

Cruz writes in the Dallas News, “Coastal elites who have never been to shooting ranges consider even responsible firearm ownership akin to tracking manure onto the kitchen floor: perhaps not criminal, but certainly not acceptable, and worth stopping.”

The Republican senator also said that “most of NRA members are model citizens.”

“Concealed-carry permit holders commit crime at lower rates than the general population, the vast majority of crimes involving guns are committed with illegally obtained weapons, and most mass shootings tragically occur in legally designated gun-free zones.”

The National Rifle Association is set to have their yearly conference this weekend in Dallas, Texas. President Trump will be speaking at the event on Friday.

Cruz is running for re-election against Democrat Beto O’Rourke in Texas this fall. (RELATED: ‘Liberal Parody Site’ — Ted Cruz Calls Out Politifact For Bias)

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