U.S. Affairs: Trigger-Stop, Companies Pile On Pressure on NRA

Several major companies — Enterprise Holdings, First National Bank of Omaha, Symantec, Hertz and Avis — have ended co-branding partnerships with the National Rifle Association as a #BoycottNRA social media movement picks up steam.

Enterprise — the parent company of car-rental brands Enterprise, Alamo and National — cut ties on Thursday, when it discontinued an arrangement that offered discounts to NRA members. Hertz, Avis Budget Group and TrueCar later followed suit.

First National Bank of Omaha, one of the country’s largest privately held banks, also announced Thursday the end of a credit-card co-branding deal with the NRA. The bank had issued what its ads described as the “Official Credit Card of the NRA,” according to the Omaha World-Herald; the Visa card offered 5 percent back on gas and sporting goods store purchases and a $40 bonus card.

On Friday, Symantec announced in a terse statement on Twitter that it had also ended its discount program with the gun-rights organization. The company, which provides cybersecurity solutions worldwide, had been offering discounts on Norton anti-virus and malware protection, cutting prices on its premium package from $110 to $48 for NRA members.

Separately, insurance company Chubb Limited said Friday that it will stop underwriting “NRA Carry Guard,” a policy marketed to NRA members who face legal or civil lawsuits after they shoot someone. A spokesman for Chubb told Reuters that the company informed the NRA of the decision three months ago; the policy has faced criticism from gun-control groups who called it “murder insurance.” Altogether, some 15 companies/brands have announced an end to their business relationship with the NRA.

The decisions came as the names of companies with NRA associations began circulating widely on the Internet and social media under the #BoycottNRA hashtag after the deadly Valentine’s Day attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

The mass killing focused renewed attention on the NRA, which is credited with blocking gun-control measures for years through millions of dollars in political campaign contributions and pressure from its large membership base.