The gun-control debate could hit a sweet spot for Donald Trump. His position has appeal to a group that he needs to gain the White House — less educated white Democrats — without doing much to alienate traditionally Republican voters.

Mr. Trump made the issue a big part of his response to the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub, saying that his probable opponent, Hillary Clinton, “wants to take away Americans’ guns” and promising to meet with the National Rifle Association “to discuss how to ensure Americans have the means to protect themselves in this age of terror.”

According to an Upshot analysis of Pew Research data, nearly half of white working-class Democrats think it’s more important to protect gun rights than to control gun ownership. That’s a larger percentage of Democratic voters than agree with Mr. Trump on many of the other issues that he stresses on the campaign trail.