DALLAS (AP) — More than 70,000 members of the National Rifle Association are expected in Dallas for the group's annual meeting, which featured an appearance Friday by President Donald Trump who lauded NRA members for "fighting for our beloved Constitution." The meeting is also drawing protests, including by those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

Those attending the meeting of the nation's most powerful gun lobby are listening to political speeches, checking out the latest firearms, attending gun training courses and socializing. The meeting runs through Sunday.

A look at what to expect:

BIG NAME SPEAKERS

Trump headlined the group's leadership forum on Friday, making his fourth consecutive visit to the NRA meeting. He was joined by Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.

"You give your time, your energy, your vote and your voice to stand strong for those sacred rights given to us by god, including the right to self-defense," Trump said in his speech. "And now, thanks to your activism and dedication, you have an administration fighting to protect your Second Amendment."

NRA officials Wayne LaPierre, Chris Cox and Dana Loesch were among the about a dozen speakers at Friday's forum.

The Texas man who grabbed his rifle and ran barefoot across the street to open fire on a gunman who slaughtered 26 people in a church in the small town of Sutherland Springs was honored at the annual meeting. Stephen Willeford told those gathered for the group's leadership forum, "I took care of my community on that day and I'd do it again."

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

This weekend's meeting will provide a window into the NRA's message and strategy ahead of this year's midterm elections.

The NRA spent millions to help elect Trump, one of the nation's most gun-friendly presidents, and members had been hopeful that more firearms restrictions would soon be eased.

But in the last 12 months, Americans have witnessed the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, a gut-wrenching attack at a Florida high school and bitterly divided politics in Washington. Those factors gave fresh momentum to gun-control advocates and stalled the NRA's agenda, despite firm GOP control of Congress and the White House. Corporate America has also reacted, dropping scores of discount programs for NRA members or refusing to sell gun-industry products.

For the NRA, the meeting provides an opportunity to unite around the idea that members must push back against a liberal agenda that seeks to trample their Second Amendment rights. The audience consists mostly of hardcore gun-rights supporters. Those attending the meeting said it's a chance for them to talk to like-minded people and learn about new products.

The NRA's top priorities — allowing gun owners with a state-issued concealed-carry permit to carry a handgun in any state and easing restrictions on the sales of suppressors — remain unfulfilled. At the same time, the group has not lost any ground in Congress. Lawmakers have struggled to make even minor adjustments to background check systems.

And just this past March, the NRA posted its highest fundraising totals in more than a decade.

PROTESTS

Several groups have announced plans to protest during the weekend.

The protesters will include parents who lost children in the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and during other shootings. Teenagers from the Florida high school began pushing for gun restrictions almost immediately after a former student killed 17 people at the school in February. The survivors have led a series of rallies and marches, most notably an event in Washington in March that was the anchor for a national day of protest.

The students have pressed to raise the legal age to purchase a rifle, curb access to AR-style firearms and adopt other gun restrictions. While there's been no movement at the federal level, several states have enacted tougher gun laws.