Now, I don't like Trump's response to the post-Parkland media campaign either. And I can assure you that the response that I recommend would have been considerably more forthright than anything I've seen the Z-man or anyone else advise, which is apparently to do nothing and trust the states.

On an issue like guns, doing nothing is usually the best course. Most states are sensible on guns, so letting the states handle it is good for us.

Not necessarily. In any event, this is what I would advise instead of doing nothing and trusting the states to be sensible.

Arrest Dan Israel, take Nikolas Cruz into custody, stop the demolition of the school, and order an investigation into the Broward County Sheriff's Office, the Secret Service, and every other federal, state, local agency that had any contact with that school in the last six months. Then publish the results of the investigation and have the DOJ prosecute the various guilty parties.
Criminalize the public advocacy of gun control, using the anti-BDS template. Any television or radio station advocating gun control would lose its broadcasting license. Any corporation advocating gun control would lose its federal contracts.
Announce mandatory carry reciprocity between states on pain of losing federal highway funds.
Stop all federal funding to all universities, colleges, and schools that ban guns on campus.
Announce an executive order suspending all state and local gun control laws.

So, let's not pretend that I'm not as hard core and absolutist about gun rights as anyone else. That being said, John Derbyshire is right. Who else do we have besides Trump? There is no point in taking your ball and going home, because unless you are actually going to go out and take action to shut down the gun control advocates by yourself, the God-Emperor is literally all we have on the political front.

I'm not saying that we should support him in even speaking soothing words to the insane people who want to kill him and impose a violent dictatorship on a disarmed American people. I'm not saying that I think his actions are wise, well-advised, or even sensible. I'm not saying that one shouldn't feel discouraged, annoyed, or even angry about what looks very much like a foolish and unnecessarily damaging political blunder.

But I am saying that it accomplishes nothing to throw a tantrum and very publicly withdraw your support from the God-Emperor, especially when we all know that you're going to be slinking back and hoping that no one notices when you try to quietly clamber back aboard the Trump Train rather than be left behind with Ben Shapiro, Bill Kristol, Mona Charen, Rick Wilson, and all the rest of the Never-Trump losers.

At the very least, wait until Trump actually does something rather than merely makes another of his self-contradictory public statements before you reach any firm conclusions about his actual intentions or the probable consequences.