Conservative gun rights groups come out swinging against John Cornyn's bid to replace Mitch McConnell

Gun Owners Of America came out swinging against Senator John Cornyn, R-TX, after he entered the race to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Aidan Johnston, Gun Owners Of America’s (GOA) Federal Affairs Director, said tCornyn has failed to stand firm on conservative values and has instead, compromised with Democrats on gun control bills.

"Every time gun control gains steam in Congress, Senator John Cornyn is right there working with Democrats on a 'compromise.' That isn't conservative leadership, it's capitulation!," Johnston said. 

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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is seen in the U.S. Capitol after the senate voted against a advancing border security deal on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The GOA said that Sen. Cornyn's record on gun rights makes him "wholly unfit" to become the Senate minority leader.

"In the eyes of gun owners and all those who treasure our liberties, the traitor from Texas' record makes him wholly unfit to lead Republicans in the Senate," Johnston said.

Guns are displayed in a store during the Rod of Iron Freedom Festival on October 09, 2022 in Greeley, Pennsylvania.  (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The conservative gun rights group said Cornyn has helped pass a series of bills that are "gross infringements" on the Second Amendment.

The GOA pointed to Cornyn over the Safer Communities Act, which he cosponsored with Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy in 2022.

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After gun rights advocates raised Second Amendment concerns, Congress included requirements that states applying for federal grants to implement red flag laws include certain due process protections.

"Sen. Cornyn is responsible for helping pass the so-called Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that, among other things, bribes states to enact 'red-flag' gun confiscation laws, creates a national de facto wait period for young adults to buy a gun, and creates a backdoor ATF rule to eliminate the private sale of firearms," Johnston said. "These are gross infringements on the Second Amendment."

"The best thing Senator Cornyn could do for gun rights is join Mitch McConnell in retirement," he said.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) arrives to a luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on February 07, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Another conservative group, the National Association for Gun Rights, also came out against Cornyn's bid to replace McConnell. 

"Cornyn is the most anti-gun Republican in Congress," said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights. "His sponsorship of ‘Fix NICS’ and proud role in passing the largest gun control bill in decades (Biden’s so-called Bipartisan Safer Communities Act) is repulsive to law-abiding gun owners."

"When the most anti-gun President in history calls an anti-gun Republican ‘rational’ that should set off alarm bells in every law-abiding gun owners’ head," Brown added.

The gun groups' statements on Sen. Cornyn came after McConnell, 82, announced Wednesday that he plans to step away from leadership after becoming the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.

"I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell," said Cornyn, 72, in a statement released Thursday.  

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In the developing pool of potential successors, Cornyn is frequently mentioned as one of the "three Johns" likely to next lead the conference. The other two are Sens. John Thune, R-S.D. and John Barrasso, R-Wyo. 

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.