President Biden faces low approval ratings on the issue of gun violence, a new ABC News-Ipsos survey found.
Following several deadly shootings in Boulder, Colo., in Atlanta, and at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, the president is facing criticism from all sides on the issue. Republicans worry of a new push to restrict gun ownership, while Democrats find themselves exasperated that the government is not doing more to address the violence.
Just 42 percent of Americans say they approve of the way Biden has handled gun violence in the U.S. as president, while 57 percent disapprove. The disapproval is fueled by opposition on the issue from more than 8 in 10 Republicans as well as more than a third of Democrats.
Biden also faces poor approval on the issue from independents, 56 percent of whom say they disapprove of how the president is handling the issue. The numbers include disapproval from both those who say he should do more and those who argue his plans for gun ownership are too restrictive.
Among independents and Democrats, the consensus is generally in favor of stricter gun legislation, according to the poll, which found that Americans favor “new laws to try to reduce gun violence” by a 2-to-1 margin. More than 9 in 10 Democrats agree on that issue, while 36 percent of Republicans do as well.
The ABC News-Ipsos survey was conducted March 26 and March 27, with responses from 517 U.S. adults representative of the population. The margin of error is 4.9 percentage points.