A major car rental conglomerate which operates three prominent national brands is ending its corporate relationship with the National Rifle Association, as backlash grows in the wake of the Parkland mass shooting.
Until Thursday, Enterprise Holdings, which operates Enterprise, Alamo, and National, had a partnership with the NRA to provide discounts to members of the gun lobby. The discounts were available to NRA members once they paid the $40 annual fee, and the companies were among the 22 corporations offering discounts and “five star savings” to the gun lobby’s members.
On Thursday, however, all three brands announced that they would be ending the program on March 26.
Thanks for contacting us. We ended the program – effective March 26. https://t.co/BMqcoac4s2
— National Car Rental (@nationalcares) February 23, 2018
Thanks for contacting us. We ended the program – effective March 26. https://t.co/tRdHdoevfT
— EnterpriseRentACar (@enterprisecares) February 23, 2018
Thanks for contacting us. We ended the program – effective March 26. https://t.co/gwYeQR3xAh
— Alamo Rent A Car (@alamocares) February 23, 2018
The announcement follows close on the heels of First National Bank of Omaha’s decision to end its relationship with the NRA. For more than a decade the bank has offered NRA members specially branded Visa credit cards, but in a tweet Thursday the bank said that “customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA.” The bank did not respond to multiple inquiries by ThinkProgress asking for a more detailed explanation of its decision.
On Tuesday, ThinkProgress detailed how 22 corporations were making membership to America’s premier gun lobbying group more enticing by offering a range of discounts. A few car rental companies still offer discounts to members, including Hertz and Avis Budget Group, which offer NRA members “up to 25 percent off everyday base rates at participating locations.”
Enterprise Holdings’ decision follows a wave of public pressure that has descended on the NRA in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 14 students and 3 teachers dead on February 14. At a CNN townhall Wednesday night, student Cameron Kasky was greeted with raucous cheers after he asked Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to promise not to accept a single donation from the NRA in the future.
The NRA, however, accused “opportunists” of exploiting the shooting last week. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said that the solution to stopping mass shootings was having more armed personnel in schools, an opinion echoed by President Trump.