President Joe Biden and Democrats have been threatening to ban so-called “assault weapons” — semi-automatic rifles, many of which physically resemble military weapons — throughout his two years in office, but a new survey appears to indicate that, politically speaking, it’s unwise.

“Not only has he lost control of Congress, where he had focused his legislative efforts to stop the sales of modern sporting rifles, but he is losing the support of the public in his bid to take away the most popular firearm ever,” the Washington Examiner reported.

The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows that 48% of respondents oppose President Biden’s ban, while 47% support it. These findings indicate a divided public opinion, with less overwhelming support than the President and liberal Democrats may have hoped for.

These poll results are consistent with other recent polls. For example, an ABC/Washington Post poll conducted in early February found that 51% of respondents opposed a ban, while 47% supported it.

In his subscriber-based The Reload newsletter, firearms journalist Stephen Gutowski noted that public sentiment is undermining Biden’s efforts to ban those guns.

“The trend complicates efforts by President Joe Biden and his party to institute a new national ban,” he wrote, adding: “Prospects for a ban to move through Congress this year are even dimmer given the new Republican control of the House.”

The original Assault Weapons Ban, formally known as the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, was a United States federal law that took effect on September 13, 1994, and expired on September 13, 2004. The legislation was enacted during the presidency of Bill Clinton and was one of the most significant gun control laws in the nation’s history.

The law defined assault weapons as any semi-automatic rifle or pistol with certain military-style features, such as a detachable magazine, a folding or telescoping stock, a bayonet mount, or a flash suppressor. The ban prohibited the manufacture, sale, transfer, or possession of such weapons, as well as high-capacity magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition.

The 1994 law was seen as a significant victory for gun control advocates, but it was also met with fierce opposition from pro-gun groups and many Republicans. Critics argued that the ban did little to reduce gun violence and that it unfairly targeted law-abiding gun owners.

In 2004, the law was allowed to expire after Congress failed to renew it. While some states have passed their own laws banning assault weapons, the federal ban remains a contentious issue. Several studies found that the law did little to curb gun crime and the FBI regularly notes in gun-crime stats that such weapons are rarely used. The vast majority of gun crimes are committed with handguns, the bureau has noted.