Half of Republicans now support tougher gun laws: poll
Half of Republicans in a new poll said they support stricter gun laws, up from 35 percent a year ago and against the backdrop of several high-profile shootings across the country.
A USA Today/Ipsos poll released Tuesday found that 50 percent of Republicans say they think gun laws should either be a lot more or somewhat more strict than they currently are, compared to 35 percent of Republicans who responded similarly in 2021.
About 37 percent of Republicans said current gun laws are about right, while 13 percent believe gun laws should be less strict than they currently are.
Comparatively, 88 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Independents believe gun laws should be stricter than they are right now.
The latest poll comes as the nation reels from multiple shootings across the country, including in Buffalo, N.Y., Uvalde, Texas, and Tulsa, Okla.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing on gun violence on Wednesday, hearing from witnesses including a pediatrician from Uvalde who recounted the horrific state of some of the 19 children and two adults who were killed last month at a shooting in Robb Elementary School.
“What I did find was something no prayer will ever relieve: Two children, whose bodies had been so pulverized by bullets fired at them, decapitated, whose flesh had been ripped apart, that the only clue as to their identities was blood-spattered cartoon clothes still clinging to them. Clinging for life and finding none,” Roy Guerrero said.
A bipartisan group of senators are working discussing narrow gun legislation that can garner bipartisan support, as the House is slated to vote on a much broader package this week, support for which is likely to split along party lines.
The Senate group is focused on laws to incentivize states to enforce red flag laws, aimed at individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others, as well as strengthening background checks for firearm purchases.
The USA Today/Ipsos poll was conducted between June 3 and June 6 with about 1,117 adults surveyed.
Source: TEST FEED1
