I cannot believe Democrats are falling for the false issue of background checks for gun buyers.

Not only will universal background checks not solve the gun violence problem, but touting them as the answer to mass shootings could play right into President Trump’s hands and rob Democrats of a key election year issue.

Universal background checks sound great — they’re intended to keep guns away from felons and people with mental health problems. But the alleged killer in El Paso, Texas, would have passed. So would the Las Vegas sniper. So would most of the other mass killers of recent years.

Background checks for buying ammunition, restrictions on the size of guns’ magazines, and a host of other efforts that settle for a comfortable midde ground on firearms violence are also meaningless.

The real answer to mass shootings is an out-and-out nationwide ban on buying — and possessing — assault rifles.

To paraphrase former President Bill Clinton: It’s the guns, stupid.

We passed an assault weapons sales ban in California in 1989, and we did it nationally with Sen. Dianne Feinstein leading the charge in 1994. The problem is that we let the national ban lapse, and neither Democrats nor Republicans have the courage to vote it back in.

The push by Democrats for universal background checks not only falls short as a solution, it is also bad politics.

If Trump ever gets half a spine and puts his weight behind background checks, he would not only take one of the biggest issues Democrats have in the election off the table, he would also force the party to support his efforts.

The only thing keeping Trump from making the background-checks play is his fear that any move toward gun control will cost him with the National Rifle Association and eat away at his already meager 40% approval rating.

If he were smart, he’d see he might actually pick up a few votes by appearing to be reasonable on guns. The Democrats are giving him the chance.

On the menu: John’s Grill must have been having a special for progressive notables Thursday night. Upstairs, several Democratic secretaries of state were having dinner with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mayor London Breed and others.

Downstairs, Bernie Sanders was having dinner.

Speaking of food: I had a wonderful dinner the other night at the Ritz-Carlton, with fantastic food, wines selected by celebrity chef Narsai David and, for dessert, a great story about how it all came together.

The host of the evening was retired San Francisco Deputy Fire Chief Dan Sullivan, who paid $8,000 at a charity auction for the dinner for eight, with me as part of the package.

“Dan, how did you wind up spending that kind of money?” I asked when the other guests were out of earshot.

“Well, it was at a charity dinner, and I’d been drinking a bit,” he said. “I got into this bidding war with this woman across the room. She was bidding up $100 at a time, and I’d raise my paddle and match her.

“The whole place was going crazy, and I got caught up in it.”

He went on: “At $8,000 my sobriety kicked in and I put my hand down. The next thing you know she shouts out, ‘Dan, you have fought so hard for this dinner, you must really, really want it. So I’m going to withdraw my bid and let you have it.’

“And with that, I was out two years of vacations for me and my wife.”

All for a good cause.

Last laugh: BART board President Bevan Dufty introduced me the other day to the transit agency’s new general manager, Robert Powers.

“Congratulations, Mr. Powers. You have my condolences as well,” I said.

He laughed hard, so he does have a sense of humor. He’ll need it.

Shocker: In defending his trade war with China, President Trump declared that he’s “the chosen one.”

What a shock.

All this time, I’ve been thinking the chosen one was me.

Want to sound off? Email wbrown@sfchronicle.com