(Reuters) Most Americans maintain a favorable view of the National Rifle Association despite criticism and a presidential rebuke of the gun lobby after a massacre in Oregon this month, Gallup said on Thursday.
The NRA is viewed favorably by 58 percent of Americans, Gallup said. That compares with 54 percent after the December 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and is just 2 points below its highest showing in Gallup polls since 1989.
Another poll by Gallup, released earlier this week, showed 55 percent of Americans prefer tighter regulations on gun sales, something the NRA generally opposes. Pro-gun groups say increased background checks for gun buyers could infringe on Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms.
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