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The Daily - Why Polling on Gun Control Gets It Wrong

In calling for Republicans to pass gun safety measures like expanded background checks, Democrats point to polls that show most Americans support the idea. 
They aren’t wrong about the polling. In fact, some polls show that over 90 percent of Americans support expanded checks. 
Polling, however, does not tell the whole story.

Why Polling on Gun Control Gets It Wrong

From the New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernici. This is the Daily.

We should expand background checks to keep guns out of the hands of felons,

fugitives, and those under restraining orders.

In calling for Republicans to pass gun safety measures like expanded background checks,

Democrats point to polling that shows that most Americans support the idea.

Stronger background checks are something that the vast majority of Americans,

including the majority of gun owners, agree on.

But as my colleague, Nate Cohn has found,

the polling does not tell the whole story.

So Nate, right now, there's a bill in Congress that would expand background checks.

And Democrats are struggling to get the votes for it.

And one of the things that they're saying is, look at the polling.

The vast majority of Americans are actually in favor of this.

So I guess my first question for you, Nate, is,

Do most Americans want background checks?

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0:00.0	From the New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernici. This is the Daily.
0:12.0	Today,
0:14.0	Enough.
0:16.0	We should expand background checks to keep guns out of the hands of felons,
0:22.0	fugitives, and those under restraining orders.
0:24.0	In calling for Republicans to pass gun safety measures like expanded background checks,
0:30.0	Democrats point to polling that shows that most Americans support the idea.
0:36.0	Stronger background checks are something that the vast majority of Americans,
0:40.0	including the majority of gun owners, agree on.
0:42.0	But as my colleague, Nate Cohn has found,
0:45.0	the polling does not tell the whole story.
0:57.0	It's Tuesday, June 7th.
1:07.0	So Nate, right now, there's a bill in Congress that would expand background checks.
1:13.0	And Democrats are struggling to get the votes for it.
1:17.0	And one of the things that they're saying is, look at the polling.
1:21.0	The vast majority of Americans are actually in favor of this.
1:25.0	It's popular.
1:27.0	So why won't you vote for it?
1:29.0	So I guess my first question for you, Nate, is,
1:32.0	are the Democrats right?
1:34.0	Do most Americans want background checks?
1:38.0	Maybe they are right about the polling.
	...

Why Polling on Gun Control Gets It Wrong

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