More 'gun safety' laws aren’t the answer to 'gun violence' The less Trump means what he says about cleaning up Ukrainian corruption, banning flavored vaping or fixing gun violence, the happier I feel: Opposing view

Robert Farago | Opinion contributor

The first time Donald Trump ran for president, the reality TV star presented a novel idea for combating terrorists. “You have to take out their families,” candidate Trump told Fox & Friends. When Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and others pointed out that the policy might “create more enemies than you’re destroying,” Trump went all Servpro on his proposal. Like it never happened.

Call it the run-it-up-the-flagpole-and-if-no-one-salutes-it-pretend-you-never-said-it strategy. Whatever you call it, it works for Donald Trump — a president with a unique ability to set the news media’s hair on fire on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis.

It also works for me, an American who believes President Ronald Reagan’s warning: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’ ” As far as I’m concerned, the less Trump means what he says about “cleaning up” Ukrainian corruption, “banning” flavored vaping or “fixing gun violence,” the happier I feel.

Do you really think the government can solve America’s “gun violence” problem — firearms-related suicides, deadly gangbanging and deranged school shooters — by enacting “gun safety” laws? If you do, you might be deluded enough to think that Trump’s decision to abandon his previously stated willingness to seek compromise on the issue is (another) reason to hate the president’s lack of resolve.

OUR VIEW: Trump on gun laws is all talk, no action and more deaths

Folks, Donald Trump says a lot of things about a lot of things. So many things his own people can’t keep track — never mind begin the complicated process of making them happen in a town where snakes don’t bite residents out of professional courtesy.

As it should be. Do you want a single-minded president who always does what he says, or one happy to change his mind/forget what he said and not do something because ... reasons? I know which way I vote.

Robert Farago, who founded www.thetruthaboutguns.com, publishes www.thetruthaboutwatches.com.

If you can't see this reader poll, please refresh your page.