Peggy Noonan: 'People Don't Trust Congress'

STEPHANOPOULOS: Peggy, maybe things haven’t changed much after Newtown at all?

NOONAN: Here’s where I think the problem is, I think Congress is attempting to act in a way that ignores a central fact. The central fact is that nobody in America really trusts Congress. If you’re Congress, and you admit nobody really trusts us, then you make simple, discreet, five-page bills, not these big comprehensive things that involve assault weapons, and this and that, and putting it forward and then having everybody, say whoa, I’m not sure I trust you. The reason Americans don’t trust these big bills is because they think so much mischief is hidden inside.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I take your point on that, but doesn’t extending a background check from gun stores to gun shows, doesn’t that fit that bill as kind of simple — simplicity?

NOONAN: If we’re at the point where that is a simple bill, on its own, existing on its own, I think it could go forward and do well as long as it takes care of certain things that may be going too far.