Results of TheBlaze gun poll

January 14, 2013

Writer

Last week TheBlaze invited you to participate in an online survey about guns and gun ownership, and the current debate about limiting or adjusting what is currently allowed within the 2nd Amendment.

The survey ended up with 106 questions and TheBlaze received nearly 5 million responses to the survey. Given the media narrative that would have most believe that Americans are in strong support of new gun regulations, Glenn went through the results of the survey on radio this morning.

Before getting into the results, TheBlaze gives a good breakdown of who a typical Blaze reader is:

• 100% believe in the right to bear arms

• 85% are at least 35-years

• 80% are homeowners

• 78% have children

• 76% are married

• 73% served in the U.S. military or have an immediate family member serving

• 71% of the respondents are male

• 66% own dogs (36% have cats)

• 63% have more than one gun

• 54% read more than 12 books a year

• 52% have taken a firearms safety class

"If you take all of that data into account, the typical Blaze reader is a married man, a reader, over 35, who has a house, kids, dogs, and at least one gun. However, it should be noted that readership has expanded significantly since last year."

Glenn explained that TheBlaze poll started with 20 questions, and then asked Blaze readers to submit their own.

The most agreed upon question generated unanimous consensus. TheBlaze asked, "Do you believe in the 2nd Amendment."

100% responded yes — that's 4,876,394 people.

There was 99% agreement around the overall feeling about 'why' the 2nd Amendment was written by the Founding Fathers. That feeling was, "I believe the 2nd Amendment protects the people from a tyrannical government."

"So this isn't about hunting, at least for our crowd," Glenn commented.

99% of the individuals who took this poll responded 'no' to these questions:

• Will an assault rifle ban prevent violent crime?

• Would you surrender your Second Amendment rights in exchange for a promise from the government to protect you from all harm?

• Should the UN or any other foreign entity have any say about American gun rights or the Second Amendment?

• Should a gun owners address be published?

• Did you vote President Obama?

"Before you think that the majority of those responding are card‑carrying NRA members or concealed carry permit holders, look at these two questions," Glenn said, "Are you a member of the National Rifle Association and do you carry a concealed weapon?"

Just under half of those taking the poll said 'yes'.

"Now, Gallup has been surveying America on guns and the 2nd Amendment for decades now, and it's interesting to point out that a majority of Americans agree with The Blaze readers on the average citizen's right to own a firearm," Glenn pointed out.

Here are Gallup's poll results:

In 2003 67% believed there should not be a law to ban the possession of handguns except by police and other authorized persons. Interestingly enough, the poll taken the week after Sandy Hook showed a 2% drop in those who called for a handgun ban. The overall support for a handgun ban has dropped 8% over a decade.

"That's amazing," Stu noted of the surprising drop following the incident that really sparked the discussion on gun legislation.

Looking deeper into TheBlaze gun poll:

• 88% own a gun

• 75% have owned a gun for more than a decade and they have more than two guns in their home.

• 74% think that every home in America should have a gun.

• 72% of respondents have taken a firearms safety class. However, only 37% believe that gun buyers should be required to pass a basic firearms skills test prior to being sold a weapon.

In contrast "Blaze readers are twice as likely to own a gun as the rest of America," Glenn explained. "According to Gallup, the last time that we had more than 50% gun ownership in the country was 1993 and it was at 51%."

Looking at these numbers, readers of TheBlaze are likely more concerned that gun ownership could be at risk or become more difficult in the near future. In fact, 87% of those who took TheBlaze poll said that they are considering or will be purchasing a firearm in the near future.

And while 87% are considering purchasing a gun, 91% really believe that the president will use an executive order to enact a gun ban if congress will not. And a whopping 89% are worried that gun confiscation will be attempted before the year's end. 98% say they will not willingly surrender their firearms if confiscation is ordered.

"Really important numbers," Glenn commented.

The poll also shows that 64% have purchased ammunition and 45% have purchased a firearm within the past six months.

"May I recommend that you don't purchase ammunition, that you purchase ways to make ammunition," Glenn told listeners.

Two other overwhelming responses of the nearly 5 million readers who took our poll was one that the leaders in Washington may want to pay attention to. 97% said they will actively campaign against any politician who votes against the principals of the 2nd Amendment, and 99% believe that banning assault rifles will not prevent violent crime.

"What The Blaze found surprising is that Gallup's recent survey on the possibilities of reinstating an assault ‑‑ a ban on rifles taken after the Sandy Hook murders showed no real increase in popular support for this action," Glenn noted. "A majority of Americans is still against this action."

After seeing the results of the poll, one thing is crystal clear: TheBlaze audience is filled with staunch defenders of the 2nd Amendment and that right is also supported by the members of our audience who do not own a gun.

Hunter pleads GUILTY, but did he get a pass on these 3 GLARING crimes?

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

Last week, Hunter Biden made the shocking decision to suddenly plead guilty to all nine charges of tax-related crimes after claiming innocence since 2018.

Hunter first tried an "Alford plead" in which a defendant maintains their innocence while accepting the sentencing, typically due to the overwhelming evidence against them. Hunter's Alford plead was not accepted after the prosecutors objected to the suggestion, and Hunter quickly pleaded guilty.

Glenn could not believe just how disrespectful this situation was to the justice system and the American people. After years of lying about his innocence, which only served to deepen the divide in our country, Hunter decided to change his tune at the last minute and admit his guilt. Moreover, many expect Joe Biden will swoop in after the election and bail his son out with a presidential pardon.

This isn't the first time Hunter's crimes have turned out to be more than just a "right-wing conspiracy theory," and, odds are, it won't be the last. Here are three crimes Hunter may or may not be guilty of:

Gun charges: Found guilty

This June, Hunter Biden was found guilty of three federal gun charges, which could possibly land him up to 25 years in prison. Hunter purchased a revolver in 2018 while addicted to crack, and lied to the gun dealer about his addiction. While Hunter could face up to 25 years in prison, it's unlikely to be the case as first-time offenders rarely receive the maximum sentence. That's assuming Joe even lets it go that far.

Tax evasion: Plead guilty

Last week, Hunter changed his plea to "guilty" after years of pleading innocent to federal tax evasion charges. Since 2018, Delaware attorneys have been working on Hunter's case, and just before the trial was set to begin, Hunter changed his plea. According to the investigation, Hunter owed upwards of $1.4 million in federal taxes that he avoided by writing them off as fraudulent business deductions. Instead, Hunter spent this money on strippers, escorts, luxury cars, hotels, and, undoubtedly, crack.

Joe's involvement with Hunter's foreign dealings: Yet to be proven

Despite repeated claims against it, there is ample evidence supporting the theory Joe Biden was aware of Hunter's business dealings and even had a hand in them. This includes testimony from Devon Archer, one of Hunter's business partners, confirming Joe joined several business calls. Despite the mounting evidence Joe Biden was involved in Hunter's overseas business dealings and was using his influence to Hunter's benefit, the Bidens still maintain their innocence.

Why do we know so much about the Georgia shooter but NOTHING about Trump's shooter?

Jessica McGowan / Stringer | Getty Images

It's only been a few days since the horrific shooting at the Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, and the shooter, Colt Gray, and his father, Colin Gray, have already made their first court appearance. Over the last few days, more and more information has come out about the shooter and his family, including details of Colt's troubled childhood and history of mental health issues. The FBI said Colton had been on their radar.

This situation has Glenn fired up, asking, "Why do we have an FBI?" It seems like every time there is a mass shooting, the FBI unhelpfully admits the shooter was "on the radar," but what good does that do? While it is great we know everything about the Georgia shooter, including what he got for Christmas, why do we still know next to NOTHING about Trump's would-be assassin? Here are three things we know about the Georgia shooter that we stilldon't know about the Trump shooter:

Digital footprint

Just a few days after the shooting, authorities have already released many details of the Georgia shooter, Colt Gray's, digital footprint. This includes extensive conversations and photographs revolving around school shootings that were pulled from Gray's Discord account, a digital messaging platform.

Compared to this, the FBI claims Thomas Crooks, the shooter who almost assassinated Donald Trump, had little to no digital footprint, and outside of an ominous message sent by Crooks on Steam (an online video game platform), we know nothing about his online activities. Doesn't it seem strange that Crooks, a young adult in 2024 who owned a cell phone and a laptop left behind no digital trail of any relevance to his crime?

Home life

The FBI has painted a vivid image of what Colt Gray's home life was like, including his troubling relationship with his parents. They released information about his parents' tumultuous divorce, being evicted from his home, several interactions with law enforcement and CPS, and abuse. Investigators also found written documents of Colt's related to other school shootings, suggesting he had been thinking of this for some time before committing the atrocity.

In contrast, we still know next to nothing about Crooks's home life.

How he got the weapon

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Colt Gray was gifted the rifle he used in the shooting from his father for Christmas last year. We also know Colt's father is an avid hunter and would take Colt on hunting trips. In 2023, Colt was the subject of an investigation regarding a threat he made online to shoot up a school. During the interview, Colt stated he did not make the threat. Moreover, his father admitted to owning several firearms, but said Colt was not allowed full access to them. The investigation was later closed after the accusations could not be sustained.

In comparison, all we know is that Crooks stole his father's rifle and did not inform his parents of any part of his plan. We have no clue how Crooks acquired the rest of his equipment, which included nearly a hundred extra rounds of ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, and several homemade bombs. How did Crooks manage to acquire all of his equipment without the FBI taking notice?

It feels like the FBI is either incompetent or hiding important information from the American people. Or both.

Join Glenn TONIGHT for BlazeTV's exclusive debate coverage!

Bill Pugliano / Stringer, Grant Baldwin / Stringer | Getty Images

Join Glenn TONIGHT, September 10, at 8 p.m. Eastern, for his LIVE coverage of the ABC News Presidential Debate!

Don't rely on the mainstream media to spoon-feed you their spin on the debate. Dodge the censorship and decide for yourself! Join the BlazeTV livestream tonight to get the debate coverage America deserves: the pure, uncensored truth. Plus you'll get to be the first to see Glenn's LIVE reaction to the debate as it goes down!

If you become a BlazeTV+ subscriber today, you can gain access to the live chat with your favorite hosts, including Glenn, Stu, Liz Wheeler, and more as they share their thoughts on the debate. Go to BlazeTV.com/debate and get $40 off of your annual subscription with code DEBATE. This is the largest discount we’ve ever offered, so don’t miss out! See you TONIGHT at 8!

You do NOT want to miss it!

These ‘conservative’ Glenn Beck critics are now supporting Kamala Harris

Drew Angerer / Staff, NBC NewsWire / Contributor, NBC NewsWire / Contributor | Getty Images

There’s a certain irony in how some of the loudest critics of Glenn Beck within the conservative ranks have now thrown their support behind Kamala Harris, a figure whose politics stand in stark contrast to the values they once claimed to uphold. Let's take a look back at these self-proclaimed guardians of conservatism, who once claimed Glenn Beck was a threat to the conservative movement, but are now backing the most far-left, radical candidate the Democrats have ever produced.

Adam Kinzinger

Adam Kinzinger was elected in 2010 as a Tea Party conservative, riding the wave of anti-establishment sentiment that defined the movement. However, by 2013, he was already distancing himself from the principles that got him elected. Criticizing Glenn Beck for labeling him a RINO, Kinzinger said, "The perception is, if you do one thing out of line with what is considered hard-core conservatism, or what Glenn Beck says or what Mark Levin says, then you are a RINO." Now, he’s taken his political shift to the extreme, endorsing Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention and praising her as a defender of democracy—all while claiming to be a Republican and a conservative.

Bill Kristol

Bill Kristol’s flip-flop is even more astounding. Kristol, who once took it upon himself to attack Beck for his warnings about radical Islam and creeping authoritarianism, now finds himself on the same side as Kamala Harris. Kristol’s past criticisms of Beck, comparing him to fringe elements like the John Birch Society, now ring hollow as Kristol himself becomes an apologist for the far left. His endorsement of Harris shows that his commitment was never to conservatism but to whatever political winds would keep him in the spotlight.

Jennifer Rubin

Jennifer Rubin is a prime example of how establishment figures at outlets like The Washington Post have masqueraded as conservatives while working to undermine genuine conservative voices. Rubin, who once criticized Beck by saying, "Rather than reflexively rising to his defense when questioned about Beck, why don’t conservatives call him out and explain that he doesn’t represent the views of mainstream conservatives?" was never truly aligned with conservative values. Her columns have consistently pushed establishment narratives, and now they read like PR pieces for the Democratic Party, especially when it comes to Kamala Harris. Rubin’s journey from supposed conservative commentator to one of the Biden administration’s staunchest defenders shows that her critiques of Beck were always about protecting her place within the Washington elite, not about upholding any real conservative principles.

Kinzinger, Kristol, and Rubin once posed as guardians of conservatism, warning about the supposed dangers of Glenn Beck. Now, they’ve endorsed Kamala Harris, a candidate whose policies are anathema to conservatism. Their criticisms of Beck were never about protecting conservative values—they were about steering the party back under their control. But the real target wasn’t just Beck; it was the audience he represents—everyday conservatives who challenge the status quo. These insiders have always seen that base as the real threat, and their actions make it clear who they were really trying to sideline.

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