WASHINGTON — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to ease restrictions on gun ownership, a stance that exploits a weakness of former President Donald Trump and shores up support from a key segment of the GOP primary base.
But DeSantis’s moves highlight a dilemma for Republicans in general elections, where their strident support for gun rights threatens to cost them votes with an electorate that backs tougher restrictions after a rise in mass shootings, most recently on the campus of Michigan State University on Monday night.
Gallup in an October poll found 57% of Americans say gun laws should be more strict. Only 27% of GOP voters, though, back tougher gun policies, compared to 86% of Democrats and 60% of independents, Gallup found.
