DELAYED REACTION

Violence roiled for hours before Trump finally spoke, prompting critics to ask: Where is the president?

BEDMINSTER, N.J.— President Donald Trump is often quick to respond to terrorizing acts of violence. But he kept quiet Saturday morning as a protest led by white nationalists, who arrived with torches and chants in Charlottesville, Va., Friday night, turned violent.

He kept quiet as David Duke, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, said the scene in Charlottesville is a “turning point” for a movement that aims to “fulfil the promises of Donald Trump.”

The president kept quiet as Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, declared a state of emergency — and as Trump’s wife wrote in a tweet that “no good comes from violence.”

Cable news commentary, Twitter and the inboxes of White House spokesmen quickly filled with this question: Where is the president?

Then, at 1:19 p.m. in New Jersey, Trump took a break from his working vacation at his private golf club to tweet: “We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Lets come together as one!”

About two hours after the president’s tweet, Trump expanded with a statement that began: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides.” He then added for emphasis: “On many sides.” When asked what Trump meant by “on many sides,” a White House spokesperson responded: “The president was condemning hatred, bigotry and violence from all sources and all sides. There was violence between protesters and counter-protesters today.” When pressed on what the president saw or heard from the counter-protesters that was bigoted or hateful, the spokesman did not respond. Later in the evening, Trump praised law enforcement officers at the protest and offered his condolences to a victim.

Trump never used the words “white supremacy” or “white nationalism.” He didn’t detail what acts or words he considers to be hateful or bigoted. He didn’t mention the vehicle that had driven into a crowd of counter-protesters in Charlottesville — a tactic that has been repeatedly used by Islamic State terrorists. He scolded both sides and treated their offences as being equal. He was vague enough that he could be interpreted in a number of ways. But many other Americans wanted their president to be crystal-clear. The president’s tweet and statement were quickly questioned and protested.

“There is only one side,” tweeted former vice-president Joe Biden.