Gallup Poll Shows Gun Control Losing Steam Except Among Democrats

Support for gun control is waning except among Democrats, a new Gallup poll indicates. (Dave Workman)

The latest Gallup poll on gun control issues has revealed two important factors, which may explain why the results didn’t get much media coverage: 89 percent of Democrats want tougher gun laws and fewer Democrats own guns now than they did during the period of 2007-2012.

Translation: When it comes to Second Amendment rights, Democrats are increasingly out of touch with other Americans.

The survey, taken early in October, shows support for a ban on handguns—except for the police and military—is near an all-time low. It also revealed that support for a ban on so-called “assault weapons” has lost ground as well.

Compared with 2019, support for an assault weapons ban is lower among Republicans (27%) and independents (50%),” Gallup said. “Meanwhile, Democrats (82%) steadily and broadly favor a ban on semiautomatic guns.”

And Fox News Digital is reporting that gun ownership demographics is showing a “notable change” in who owns guns.

According to the Gallup survey, while an overwhelming majority of Democrats support stricter gun laws, 56 percent of Independents and only 25 percent of Republicans do.

“Democrats’ backing for tougher gun laws has ranged from 85% to 94% since 2017,” said Gallup, “while Republicans’ and Independents’ have been significantly lower. Republicans’ current reading is essentially the same as the group’s 22% record low in 2020.”

Another Gallup revelation is that “A 59% majority of Republicans favor keeping firearms sales laws as they are now, while 15% prefer less strict laws. In addition to the majority of Independents who back stricter gun laws, 31% would like to see them kept the same and 12% support stricter laws.”

This correlates with a notation in the Fox News report: “Republicans are currently 1.5 times more likely than non-Republicans to own a gun, and Democrats are 1.3 times less likely than non-Democrats to own a gun.”

The survey also shows more Republican men are likely to own guns (60%) while only 29 percent of male Democrats own firearms. Among Independents, 39 percent of men are gun owners, Gallup reported.

While 52 percent of all Americans still favor a ban on so-called “assault weapons,” Gallup noted, “support is significantly lower now than it was in Gallup’s initial reading in 2019 (61%) and is down slightly from 55% in 2022.”

And here’s something else they probably won’t be discussing on “The View.” Gallup said more Republican women now own guns (33%) than they did during the period of 2007-2012 (19%).

The overall number of Americans who support stricter gun control laws has remained stable over the past three years, at 56 percent, according to Gallup.

Was this a factor in the recent presidential election outcome? That may be hard to say, although Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, believes it did. In a statement to the media, after Donald Trump won a second term in the White House beginning next Jan. 20, Gottlieb maintained, “America’s gun owners saw the threat of a Kamala Harris presidency and took action. Millions of ‘gun voters’ turned out to reverse the nation’s course on firearms rights and keep Kamala out of the Oval Office.

“In this election,” Gottlieb observed, “the Democrats shot blanks and the voters buried their gun ban agenda.”

Further cementing the Democrat disconnect is the result of a new Rasmussen survey showing a majority of Democrat voters say Harris is the overwhelming favorite to be the party leader, with 54 percent considering her better than others, including 20 percent who say Joe Biden as the better leader, ahead of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (11%) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (5%).”

According to Gallup’s report, the polling firm “has measured public support for a ban on handguns since 1980 and, before that, had asked a similar question about ‘a law which would forbid the possession’ of ‘pistols and revolvers.’”

Gallup adds, “Support for banning the ownership of handguns by unauthorized people peaked at 60% in 1959, the initial reading. Since then, support has never risen to the majority level and has been consistently below 30% since 2008, including the current near-record low.

“The decline in support for a handgun ban this year is largely owed to Democrats,” Gallup explained, “whose backing has fallen by 16 points since 2023 to 33% — a new low — after the group showed increasing support for a ban the prior two years.”

Could Democrats actually be moderating their position on guns? Most likely not, considering the majority think Harris is their new party leader, and fewer Democrats are gun owners than they were a decade ago. With Republicans now set to control Congress and the White House, they have at least two years to accomplish two important things: Adopt better gun laws or repeal bad ones, and appoint more conservative/pro-Second Amendment judges to fill federal court vacancies, including the U.S. Supreme Court.


About Dave Workman

Dave Workman

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Darkman

ironically Liberal Progressive Democrats have done more to increase firearms sales than for any other reason.

Boz

lt’s NEVER been about reducing crime, or for the children, or the safety of American Citizens. It is simply about disarmament, nothing else.

Cappy

In talking to the small number of anti-gun progressives in my circle of friends I have concluded that most of those who favor stricter sales laws are also those who continue to think machine guns are available over the Internet. The strongest feelings seem to come from the weakest minds. As has been said by others, it’s not so much what people don’t know that causes trouble; it’s what they do know that just ain’t so.

Sandy

If you read the Founders’ Commentaries on the Bill of Rights, they expressly state the Government cannot touch any of the rights listed there in any way, manner or form. This means all gun control laws or any law hindering a citizen from purchasing, maintaining and carrying the weapon of their choice is illegal.

Nick

You’re trying to argue history, logic and reason, with fanatical puppets, and their even more fanatical masters…

Rob

How does this merit publication? Of course it’s true; gun control measures are slowly being eroded while the democrats are pissing their pants.

Wild Bill

Workman is a pretty good author. He works hard in several gun magazines to keep hunters and shooters informed. So I am willing to give him a little lee way. Still up voting you.

Last edited 2 days ago by Wild Bill
chocopot

I neither believe nor trust polls – ANY polls. With that said, I will say the following. For more than 40 years now, I have been asking the following: Where in the wording of The Second Amendment is there any provision for, or even a suggestion of, restrictions, limitations, or exceptions? The correct answer: There is none. Thus, there is a very strong argument to be made that, Court decisions notwithstanding, every one of the more than 24,000 gun control laws currently in effect in this nation at the federal, state, and local levels is unconstitutional. The Bruen Decision, if… Read more »

Last edited 3 days ago by chocopot
Nick

In a way, you answer your own question… We live in a post constitutional era. People like us, believe in it, while a majority of both citizens and all those in power do not.

The various judges reading the Federalist Papers, won’t do anything. They don’t want to learn, because they already don’t believe in the constitution.

chocopot

Very sadly, I must essentially agree with you. I am at a loss as to why someone gave you a negative rating for speaking truth.

Nick

There are about six readers here, who hate my guts, and will down vote anything they see me write, even when it’s not directed at them.
Oh well, it’s the internet, you’re always going to have a troll, or half a dozen… LOL

Wild Bill

Don’t flatter yourself, there are more than six.

Nick

Haha, and a moment ago I tried to be nice to you, and answer your question on the Ruger SFAR and now you’re showing your true character, a yapping little mutt.
TROLL.

Wild Bill

First he is not writing the truth. Second he talks through his hat a lot, and people can see it. Third he has a real talent for reproach.

Oldvet

Wild … He doesn’t realize how much we love dogs , little mutts to big bowzers !!!!

Wild Bill

When you write “post constitutional” do you mean after the Constitution was written or something else?

musicman44mag

It’s this simple. Demonrats know themselves and they think everyone is like them and they know that if they had a gun and they got spitting mad that there is possibility, in a moment of rage, that they could lose it and shoot someone because they know in their heart of hearts they lack control. The proof is they start screaming so loud that they actually spit, they lose control of their bodies and start physically shaking then they spew crap that doesn’t make sense and some get threatening and in your face. Who knows where it could go from… Read more »

Oldman

Is cocaine included?

musicman44mag

Oh, no, that’s the rich mans drug that the legislators at the state capitals and the white house take so it has to be ok. Just look into Uncle Joe and Hunters eye’s, you can see that they are ok, ok, ok, ok. Nothing to see here, we don’t know who left it at what should be one of the most secure government installations in the USA with the exception of the military but it’s ok, cocaine is harmless and we know, we are the government and we have used it on innocent unsuspecting people and observed their actions. Anything… Read more »

Get Out

I have to wonder how many people polled admit they have any firearms when asked?

Nick

Defeating the Dems, on the national level was of course a great thing. But we must not forget that the GOP, as a whole, is nominally pro gun at best.
Voting (R) isn’t good enough. We must vet candidates, and primary them, whenever they fail to tow our line.

Wild Bill

Primary elections determine who the candidates will be, so everything is won or lost in the primaries.