Two new polls show a majority of Americans support stronger gun laws, putting the National Rifle Association on the defensive for opposing President Obama’s gun safety agenda.
A CBS News/New York Times poll finds that a majority of 54 percent back stricter gun laws — a 14-point jump from last April before the Aurora and Newtown mass shootings — and 53 percent say it would deter gun violence, while a Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that around 75 percent of Americans support gun restrictions.
When it comes to specific proposals the president is urging Congress to pass:
— 92 percent of CBS News/NY Times respondents and 86 percent of Reuters/Ipsos respondents favor mandatory background checks for all gun sales.
— 53 percent of CBS News/NY Times respondents and 74 percent of Reuters/Ipsos respondents back a ban on assault weapons.
— 63 percent of CBS News/NY Times respondents and 74 percent of Reuters/Ipsos respondents support a ban on high-capacity magazines.
In a bit of good news for the NRA, their proposal to place armed guards in schools is backed by 72 percent of Reuters/Ipsos respondents; however, the CBS/NYT poll finds that the NRA has the same low approval ratings as Republicans in Congress, with only 39 percent supporting the gun industry lobbying group. And support for armed guards in schools could change after today’s news that an armed security guard at a Michigan charter school left his handgun in a student bathroom.
Photo credit: Associated Press
