A 51% majority of Americans view gun violence as a crisis, according to new polling from the progressive consortium Navigator Research. Another 23% say it's a major issue but not a crisis, while just 10% say it isn't a serious issue.
Navigator notes that since the Uvalde, Texas, shooting in late May, the number of independents viewing gun violence as either a "crisis" or a "major issue" has increased 15 points from 64% to 79%.
A Daily Kos/Civiqs survey earlier this month found that 67% of registered voters view gun violence as "a big problem."
In the wake of the Uvalde massacre, the Navigator poll also found a 16-point net increase in support for stronger gun laws, with two-thirds of Americans now backing stricter gun laws. The increase in support was bipartisan, with a 16-point spike among both Democrats (from +67 to +83) and independents (from +29 to +45), and a 17-point increase among Republicans (from +13 to +30). A spike in support for stricter gun laws often happens in the wake of horrific mass shootings such as the one that claimed 21 lives, most of them children, in late May at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
The Daily Kos/Civiqs survey tested several potential changes to gun laws in the U.S. and found that 61% of voters support raising the legal age for purchasing a gun to at least 21 years old.
Strong support for universal background checks continues at 86% of voters, with 72% "strongly" supporting them and another 14% "somewhat" supporting them. Just 7% of voters strongly oppose universal background checks.
Of the voters, 52% also support an assault weapons ban, with 45% "strongly" supporting it, while 37% "strongly" oppose such a ban.
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Finally, the Navigator poll found several arguments about GOP inaction on gun safety persuasive with roughly two-thirds of the electorate:
- “Republican officials say that mental health is the true problem, and not guns, but Republican lawmakers and legislatures across the country have slashed funding for mental health services and blocked legislation that would keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill” (68% find concerning, including 65% of independents);
- “Republican officials have for decades blocked even the most common-sense gun violence prevention laws, such as closing loopholes that allow anyone to get their hands on a gun with no questions asked, and universal background checks. Now we're seeing the horrific consequences of their inaction” (65% find concerning, including 63% of independents); and,
- “Republican officials are more extreme on guns than most gun owners themselves. Most responsible gun owners, including military veterans and police officers, want stronger gun laws, stronger background checks, and limited access to assault weapons, yet Republican officials stand in the way of all of these things as gun violence continues to increase in our country” (65% find concerning, including 67% of independents).
