FALSEHOOD #49: Biden falsely claimed that a majority of gun owners want an assault weapon ban.

Biden said, “The folks who own weapons, the folks who own guns, they support universal background checks. The majority of them think we should not be selling assault weapons.”

Biden made this false claim on April 16, 2021 during a news conference.

EXPLANATION: This is false. The Biden administration never cited the source for his claim. A majority of gun owners do not want a ban on semi-automatic rifles.

According to a 2022 NPR/Ipsos survey, most gun owners don’t want an AR-15-style semiautomatic weapon ban. Only 42% of gun owners support a ban.

SOURCES

Kessler, G. (2021, April 30). Analysis | the false and misleading claims president Biden made during his first 100 days in office. The Washington Post. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/biden-fact-checker-100-days/

Montanaro, D., & Westervelt, E. (2022, July 8). Most gun owners favor modest restrictions but deeply distrust government, poll finds. NPR. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2022/07/08/1110239487/most-gun-owners-favor-modest-restrictions-but-deeply-distrust-government-poll-fi

The United States Government. (2021, April 16). Remarks by president Biden and prime minister Suga of Japan at press conference. The White House. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/04/16/remarks-by-president-biden-and-prime-minister-suga-of-japan-at-press-conference/