Majority of voters say NRA has too much influence over politicians

Six in 10 Americans believe the National Rifle Association (NRA) has too much influence over U.S. politicians, according to a Qunnipiac University poll released Tuesday.

In the survey, 26 percent said the organization has the “right” amount of influence and only 7 percent say the NRA is not influential enough.

Fifty-four percent said Republicans in Congress are scared of the NRA, while 49 percent say the same about Democrats.

Most voters don’t believe that GOP hesitance towards challenging the NRA extends to the president, however. Sixty-five percent of Americans say they don’t believe President Trump will be intimidated by the NRA’s lobbying efforts.

Trump has voiced support for multiple policy initiatives to which the NRA is opposed, such as raising the minimum age to purchase assault rifles, but it remains unclear if any of those ideas will come to fruition.

Voters are not enthused about Trump’s suggestion to arm teachers following last month’s high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people. Just 40 percent of voters support giving guns to teachers, compared to 58 percent who say the plan is a bad idea.

A vast majority, 82 percent, say, however, that schools should be staffed with armed school resource officers, police officers who receive special training to work in schools.

The Quinnipiac University poll contacted 1,122 voters between March 3-5, and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.