Will gun rights be a big problem for Republicans?
Young Republicans are showing a departure from the traditional gun stance held by the rest of the GOP.
While former President Donald Trump and other potential candidates like former Vice President Mike Pence continue to emphasize their support for the Second Amendment and oppose “gun confiscation” to appeal to primary voters in the 2024 election, a notable portion of younger conservatives are moving in a different direction. These Gen Z and millennial Republicans, who have grown up in an era marked by mass violence, are embracing the idea of firearm restrictions.
Surveys conducted by Harvard’s political institute and YouGov indicate that a clear majority of young conservatives support mandatory psychological exams for gun purchasers. Furthermore, these polls suggest that younger Republicans are more likely than their older counterparts to believe in stricter gun laws, with their support for such measures increasing over the past year.
This generational divide on gun control presents a challenge for the GOP, which is already grappling with its appeal to young voters. It may also require White House hopefuls and members of Congress to reconsider their messaging on guns to align with the views of younger conservatives, even if the impact won’t be immediate or transformative.
Joacim Hernandez, the elected chairman of the Texas Young Republican Federation, acknowledges that some Gen Z voters have concerns about gun violence due to its prevalence in society. However, he also notes that many elected officials and Republicans within the party still hold the belief that government interference should not be involved in gun ownership.
The partisan divide and age gap on gun restrictions remain deeply rooted in American politics. While concerns about mass shootings tend to surge after high-profile attacks, support for gun rights has been a longstanding principle for the GOP. Polls indicate that older Republican primary voters are among the strongest advocates for firearm rights. In Texas, a traditionally conservative state, the complexity of the GOP’s internal divisions on this issue is underscored.
A recent poll conducted by the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project found that a majority of Texas Republicans, including those under the age of 45, support raising the age limit on gun purchases and implementing “red flag” laws that allow the temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others. However, progress on gun restrictions in Texas has been slow, partly due to low voter turnout that creates competitive GOP primaries susceptible to challenges from candidates opposing liberal-backed gun safety policies. Additionally, Texans often attribute mass shootings to various factors, with guns being less frequently blamed.
Despite the challenges in Texas, there is a nationwide trend among young conservatives indicating evolving attitudes towards gun control. This presents an opportunity for Democrats and gun safety advocates to propose new policies. Not only are a significant number of Republicans expressing support for gun laws traditionally associated with liberal positions, but politicians are also facing a generation that has grown up with frequent school shootings and active shooter drills.
John Della Volpe, a researcher specializing in millennial and Gen Z voters who advised President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, suggests that Republicans face a generational issue on gun control and other matters. According to a national poll by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, 59 percent of young Republicans support requiring psychological exams for all gun purchases, a measure typically favored by Democrats. Della Volpe emphasizes that addressing the need for safety in schools, public spaces, and homes is crucial to engage in meaningful conversations with younger generations. Failure to align with these values could result in the GOP becoming a regional party as this generation reaches middle age.
The Republican National Committee did not provide a comment on this issue.