Lumpy wrote:My general impression is that when faced with an issue that he doesn't know or particularly care about, Trump falls back to regurgitating talking points that some anonymous underling briefed him on. I don't think Trump cared enough about bump stock bans to do anything more than sign an order that some policy wonk plunked down on his desk. I presume the other anti-gun proposals you've linked Trump to are of similar origin.
Trump had time to talk about the bump stock ban to the media; he said back in February 2018 he would ban bump stocks. There was a comment period so the public could tell the ATF what they thought about it. I wrote in, but I think it was a waste of time. Most people who contacted the ATF were in favor of a ban; 119,000 out of 186,000. By December 2018, the final rule was written and became effective in 2019.
I'm not sure who had Trump's ear when he was talking about red flag laws. But he objected to VP Pence's insistence that there be due process prior to anyone being subjected to an emergency protection order and losing their firearms. The C-span video is really strange. Even Feinstein did not seem to be in favor of confiscating anything without due process. But she did not object either.
The idea that the age limit be raised for buying certain guns seemed to be an off the cuff comment, but it was still a very anti-gun thing to say.
My gun collection has killed at least five fewer people than the Kennedy clan has with automobiles, airplanes and golf clubs.