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Updated Aug 14, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Exclusive poll ... Rare consensus across parties: No 3D-printed guns

David Nather
Data: SurveyMonkey online poll conducted August 8–10, 2018 among a total sample of 2,096 adults living in the United States. Poll methodology; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios
Data: SurveyMonkey online poll conducted August 8–10, 2018 among a total sample of 2,096 adults living in the United States. Poll methodology; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios

Eight out of 10 Americans say 3D-printed gun blueprints shouldn't be available on the internet — a rare consensus on gun policy that cuts across party and ideological lines, according to a new Axios/SurveyMonkey poll.

The big picture: The latest poll shows Americans are still more divided on other gun issues. A slight majority disapproves of President Trump's overall gun policies, and his approval rating on guns is similar to his overall job approval rating.

By the numbers: Of the five key voter subgroups we're tracking ahead of the midterm elections:

  • White suburban women and "Never Hillary" independents are closely split on Trump's gun policies.
  • A narrow majority of rural voters approves of Trump's policies, while African-American women and Millennials strongly oppose them.
  • All five subgroups overwhelmingly oppose 3D-printed guns.

The National Rifle Association has regained some support since the Parkland school shooting earlier this year: 48% of Americans now have a favorable opinion of the organization, while 50% have an unfavorable opinion.

  • That's compared to the 44% favorability rating the group had shortly after the shooting, according to an earlier SurveyMonkey poll.
  • Among the five voter subgroups, 56% of rural voters and 53% of NeverHillary independents have a favorable view of the NRA, while 53% of Millennials have an unfavorable view. White suburban women are closely divided, and eight out of 10 African-American women oppose it.

Gun owners are strongly against the 3D-printed guns, too: 76% oppose making the blueprints available. By contrast, 58% of gun owners approve of Trump's gun policies, and 66% have a favorable impression of the NRA.

  • Among people who don't own guns, 87% oppose 3D-printed guns, 66% oppose Trump's gun policies, and 66% also have an unfavorable impression of the NRA.

Between the lines: The poll is another example of how Trump's overall job approval rating tracks closely with public opinion on his policies, just as our Axios-SurveyMonkey poll last week found that people's support for his immigration policies matches how they feel about his presidency.

What to watch: We'll be revisiting the five voter subgroups and their views on different topics each week in the run-up to November's votes.

Methodology: This analysis is based on SurveyMonkey online surveys conducted Aug. 8-10 among 2,096 adults in the United States. The modeled error estimate  for the full sample is plus or minus 3.0 percentage points. Sample sizes and modeled error estimates for the subgroups are as follows:

African-American Women (n=103, +/- 10.5), Millennials Age 18 - 34  (n=349, +/- 6.5), White Suburban Women  (n=414 , +/- 7), NeverHillary/Independent voters  (n= 131, +/- 12), Rural  (n= 469, +/- 6.5). Respondents for this survey were selected from the more than 2 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. More information about our methodology here. Crosstabs available here.

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