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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Poll: 2 of 3 Voters Oppose Trump Emergency for Wall

Two in three American voters disapprove of President Donald Trump using emergency executive powers in order to fund a southern border wall and a supermajority support a recent House bill requiring background checks for all gun sales, according to a new poll released Wednesday.

(CN) – Two in three American voters disapprove of President Donald Trump using emergency executive powers in order to fund a southern border wall and a supermajority support a recent House bill requiring background checks for all gun sales, according to a new poll released Wednesday.

A trio of javelina blocked from entering Mexico by an existing portion of border wall. (Matt Clark)

The Quinnipiac University poll finds that while 69 percent of Republicans approve of Trump’s emergency declaration, every other demographic disapproves of building the wall through the use of military and other funds – including 70 percent of independent voters and 73 percent of women.

In general, the majority of registered voters, 55 percent, said they oppose building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border no matter where the funding comes from.

"'We didn't want it in the first place and we certainly don't want it built by emergency executive order,' say wall-weary voters in big numbers," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, in a statement.

President Trump declared a national emergency on Feb. 15, claiming that a border security crisis is threatening the country due to the smuggling of drugs and immigrants into the United States. The declaration opens up funding for the border wall through the shuffling of the military construction budget and other funds.

Democrats in the House of Representatives passed a resolution last week that would put a stop to Trump's declaration. That resolution is currently expected to pass the Senate, though not with enough votes to make it veto-proof.

The poll also found that 86 percent of voters approve of a bill passed by the House that requires background checks on all gun sales, including sales made online and at gun shows. Support for the bill includes 80 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of gun owners.

Support for universal background checks has remained high since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2013 where 20 children and 6 adults were shot and killed, according to the pollster.

"The call for universal background checks is now nearly universal," Mallloy said. "The trend we saw after the horror of Sandy Hook and through subsequent mass shootings has become an unstoppable tide."

While 60 percent of voters polled said they generally support stricter gun laws, 73 percent said the U.S. must do more about gun violence.

Support for making marijuana legal is also picking up steam as 10 states have now legalized recreational weed and 33 have legalized medicinal marijuana. The poll found that 60 percent of voters said they favor making marijuana legal in the U.S., with only 33 percent opposed.

Legalization support is heavily drawn from younger voters ages 18 to 34, 85 percent of which favor it. While other age groups support marijuana's legalization, those voters over age 65 are more split, with 44 percent supporting and 49 percent opposed.

A customer purchases marijuana at Harborside marijuana dispensary on Jan. 1, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Starting today recreational marijuana can be sold legally in California. (AP Photo/Mathew Sumner)

While a majority of American voters support legalization of recreational marijuana, an overwhelming 93 percent said they support medicinal marijuana as long as it's prescribed by a doctor.

"The baby boomers say no to the drug that helped define an era, while the millennials say bring it on," Malloy said. "In between are enough voters to rubber-stamp legalizing marijuana for recreation as well as medical reasons."

The poll surveyed 1,200 registered voters March 1-4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

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