A Pew Research Center survey published Thursday highlights “culture war” issues that divide former US President Donald Trump supporters and President Joe Biden supporters.
Topics discussed in the survey include beliefs on gun ownership, the legacy of slavery on Black US citizens, immigration, gender identity, the criminal justice system, separation of religion and state, and feminism.
A total of 8,709 individuals responded to the survey out of 9,527 who were sampled. The data was collected between April 8 and April 14, 2024. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 1.5%.
The widest divides in American society, shown in the survey, are within the topics of the role of guns in society, as well as race and the legacy of slavery.
Joe Biden supporters prioritize gun control over gun rights and say gun ownership does more to reduce safety. Over eight-in-ten Biden supporters (83%) say the increase in guns in the US plays at least a somewhat negative role in society.
By even somewhat larger margins, Donald Trump’s supporters express opposing views on all three measures. A vast majority of Trump supporters (85%) believe it is more important to protect the rights of Americans to own guns, while only 19% of Biden supporters said the same.
American voters disagree about whether gun violence is a major national problem. In a separate survey, 68% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say gun violence is a very large problem, compared with 27% of Republicans and Republican leaning voters.
In terms of views on race and the legacy of slavery, eight-in-ten Biden supporters say that White people benefit at least a fair amount from advantages in society that Black people do not have, while only 22% of Trump supporters agree.
Over three-fourths of Biden supporters (79%) said the legacy of slavery continues to have at least a fair amount of impact on the position of Black people in American society today. Among Trump supporters, only about a quarter (27%) said the same.
Religion, gender identity, and feminism
Respondents were asked if they were comfortable when someone they do not know well says they will keep you in their prayers. Four fifths of voters, including majorities of Trump and Biden supporters said they are comfortable with the phrase, although more Trump supporters said they were comfortable than Biden supporters (87% to 73%).
Among Biden voters, 86% said religion should be kept separate from government policies, while only 56% of Trump supporters said the same.
On the subject of gender identity and same sex marriage, a growing number of Americans (65%) said that gender identity is determined by the sex they were assigned at birth. About a third (34%) said someone can be a man or a woman even if that differs from their sex at birth.
Only 20% of Trump supporters said they were comfortable with someone using “they/them” instead of “he” or “she” as pronouns to describe themselves.
A majority of Biden supporters (66%), including 79% of Biden supporters under age 50, said they were comfortable with the use of these pronouns.
Nine out of ten Trump supporters said gender is determined by sex at birth. However, nearly 60% of Biden supporters said gender can be different from sex at birth. Nearly 40% of Biden supporters said gender is determined by sex at birth.
Nearly 60% of Biden supporters (57%) support the legalization of same-sex marriage, while only 11% of Trump supporters said that it is good for society.
On the topic of abortion, 88% of Biden supporters said it should be legal in all or most cases, while 38% of Trump supporters agreed. A large majority of respondents from both parties agreed that the wide availability of birth control pills, condoms, and other forms of contraception is good for society.
Nearly 60% 0f Trump supporters (59%) said society is better if people prioritize marriage and family, in contrast with 19% of Biden supporters.
Trump voters were also more likely to view the nation’s falling birth rate negatively (47%), in contrast with 23% of Biden voters.
Immigration, crime, and mental health
On the topic of immigration, 63% of Trump supporters said there should be a national effort to deport undocumented immigrants living in the US. Only 11% of Biden supporters agreed.
Regarding the criminal justice system, a majority of voters (61%) said that the criminal justice system is not tough enough on criminals. Four-fifths of Trump supporters held that sentiment, while 40% of Biden supporters agreed.
Both Biden and Trump supporters agreed that it is crucial for police and law enforcement to keep communities safe and to treat people equally regardless of race or ethnic group.
Another subject of agreement was on the topic of open discussions of mental health, where 87% of voters said that more people discussing mental health and well-being is good for society. This includes 94% of Biden supporters and 79% of Trump supporters.