Why do Americans own AR-15s?

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The AR-15 is the best-selling rifle in the United States, industry figures indicate. Almost every major gunmaker now produces its own version of the weapon, which dominates gun dealers’ walls and websites.

Critics claim that the military-style gun has no legitimate civilian use — yet about 1 in 20 Americans own one. So who chooses to buy an AR-15, and why?

The Washington Post and Ipsos asked nearly 400 AR-15 owners to explain their reasons for having the weapon, what they use it for and how often they fire it. CONTINUED

Emily Guskin, Aadit Tambe & Jon Gerberg, Washington Post

4 in 10 Dems Want Biden to Step Aside in 2024

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Even though most Democrats hold a favorable opinion of President Joe Biden, only one in four would want him to run for a second term. More than 4 in 10 would prefer to see the incumbent step aside in favor of another candidate according to a Monmouth University Poll of self-identified Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters. These voters, however, do not have a clear idea of who they would like to see as the party’s nominee in Biden’s stead.

Three in four Democrats (74%) have a favorable opinion of Joe Biden and just 14% hold an unfavorable view. However, when asked what they want to see happen in 2024 if the choice was up to them, nearly half (44%) would like Biden to step aside so someone else can run as the Democrat for president. CONTINUED

Monmouth University Polling Institute

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Don’t call them ‘witch hunts.’ Most Americans say investigations into Trump are fair

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A majority of Americans say the multiple criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump’s conduct are fair, despite Trump’s continued efforts claiming they are conspiracies against him, the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds. The survey of more than 1,300 adults also found that despite the love for him among Republicans, Trump remains highly disliked, continues to struggle mightily with independents — and 6 in 10 Americans don’t want him to be president again. …

Those most likely to say the investigations are a witch hunt were core Trump supporting groups: white men without degrees, white evangelical Christians and those who live in small towns. …

In a mirror of public perception about the ongoing investigations, those most likely to think Trump did something illegal are white college grads, especially white, college-educated women, women who live in small cities and suburbs and people who live in the Northeast. CONTINUED

Domenico Montanaro, NPR News

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Are Trump’s legal troubles earning him Republican support?

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As former President Donald Trump awaits outcomes from multiple investigations, three-quarters of U.S. adults think he has done something illegal or unethical, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll. Yet scandals appear to have done little to tarnish Trump’s appeal among potential Republican voters as he runs for the White House again. About three-quarters of Republicans say they want him to be reelected, and a similar percentage give no credence to the ongoing probes. …

Taking a closer look at people’s perceptions of Trump, 46 percent of Americans think he has broken the law. At the same time, 29 percent of Americans say they believe he has done nothing illegal, but that the former president has done something unethical. CONTINUED

Laura Santhanam, PBS NewsHour

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Iowa Poll: Kim Reynolds’ approval rating slips as she pursues ambitious, polarizing agenda

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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ approval rating has slipped as she presides over an ambitious and polarizing legislative session, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows.

The share of Iowans who approve of Reynolds’ job performance has fallen 3 percentage points from 53% in October 2022 to 50% today. At the same time, the share of those who disapprove is up 4 percentage points from 42% last year to 46% today. Another 4% are not sure. …

Forty-eight percent say things in the state are headed in the right direction, while 44% say things are on the wrong track. Republicans and Democrats are divided in how they view circumstances in the state, with 74% of Republicans saying things are going in the right direction, compared with just 15% of Democrats. CONTINUED

Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register [via Yahoo]

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TikTok’s fate is in the hands of the creators

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… With lawmakers grumbling that youth don’t comprehend our nation’s threats and youth questioning lawmakers who don’t appreciate their values or understand their use of technology — the team at SocialSphere and I tried to sort things out. We fielded an in-depth survey of more than 1,600 Gen Z (18-26 year-olds) and millennial voters (27-42 year-olds) on the eve of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s testimony to Congress.

The results caught us by surprise. CONTINUED

John Della Volpe, JDV on Gen Z

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