Louisville, May 21 (RHC)-- The National Rifle Association (NRA), a major American gun lobby group, has endorsed presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's bid for the White House.

NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox announced the decision at a national convention in Louisville, Kentucky on Friday. Moments after the gun group endorsed Trump, the New York businessman walked onto the stage and dove right into attacking Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton over her pledges for greater gun control.

"Hillary wants to disarm vulnerable Americans in high-crime neighborhoods," he told a cheerful crowd of hundreds. "I am going to put criminals behind bars and guarantee that law-abiding Americans have the right to self-defense."

Trump argued that terrorist attacks similar to the ones that were carried out in Paris and San Bernardino, California, last year could have been prevented if the victims were carrying guns. And earlier this year, Trump floated a proposal to do away with gun-free school zones.

The former reality TV star also accused Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, of hypocrisy for surrounding themselves with armed Secret Service agents while pushing for stricter gun control.