Conflicting U.S. feelings on gun control

The U.S. divide over gun ownership has widened during the presidential race with 79% of Democrats believing it is more important to control gun ownership than protect gun rights, compared to just 9% of Republicans

Percentage of registered voters who say it is more important to control gun ownership than protect gun rights…

Democrat candidate supporters

Republican candidate supporters

2000 Al Gore (D) vs George W. Bush (R) 20% gap

2004 George W. Bush (R) vs John Kerry (D) Gap increases to 25%

2008 Barack Obama (D) vs John McCain (R) 27% gap

2012 Barack Obama (D) vs Mitt Romney (R) Gap widens to 41%

2016 Hillary Clinton (D) vs Donald Trump (R) Gap stands at 70%

May 2000 Feb 2004 Apr 2008 Apr 2012 Aug 2016

Percentage who favour ban on assault-style weapons…

Favour ban Republicans 67%  35%

Oppose ban Democrats 32% 62%

National survey by Pew Research Center, conducted August 9-16 among 1,567 registered voters. Margin of error: 2.8 percentage points

Source: Pew Research Center