About six in 10 Americans polled say U.S. gun laws are inadequate and should be strengthened in the wake of a shooting in Las Vegas that killed more than 50 people and has become the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.
A poll released Friday by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 61 percent of Americans want to see gun laws strengthened, compared to just 27 percent who say they should stay the same and 11 percent who wish to see fewer restrictions on guns.
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The numbers are similar to the same poll in July, according to the AP, seeming to indicate that Americans’ attitudes toward gun laws were likely not largely affected by the Las Vegas shooting.
Americans are deeply divided, however, over which party should take the lead when it comes to reforming gun laws. About a third of those polled trust Democrats to do a better job on this issue, compared to 28 percent who trust Republicans on the issue. Thirty-one percent of those polled said they didn’t trust either party to do a good job on the issue.
When asked about President Trump’s handling of gun-related issues as president, 59 percent disapproved of Trump’s performance. About 40 percent approved, which includes six in 10 gun owners polled and 79 percent of respondents who identified as Republicans.
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,054 adults between Oct. 12-16. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.