I NOTE your article on President Trump's pronouncements on gun law ("Trump bans bump stock devices that turn rifles into automatic weapons", The Herald, February 22). The fact that Donald Trump has signed an order directing such a ban does not mean that it has, or ever will, happen: surely your writer, James Hamilton, should know by now that there are regularly huge discrepancies between Mr Trump’s words and his actions.

In a similar vein, I was surprised at Marianne Taylor’s adjacent piece ("Populist president springs a surprise", The Herald, February 22). Maverick he may be, but Mr Trump is terrified to tighten gun laws, and he never will. Yes, the public mood has awakened again, but there will be no change.

I feel so sorry for the young people and families who were recruited to engage in the stage-managed PR exercise at the White House, the sole purpose of which was to pretend that "the President will do something’, and to present Mr Trump as an interested, caring, sincere, sympathetic leader in the midst of this latest, terrible tragedy.

It looks good on the TV news.

Sandy Simpson,

42 Whiteshaw Drive, Carluke.