The United States is no stranger to political turmoil and social unrest. One recent tension around the country was over the summer in Charlottesville, and it infuriated some members of the population. When citizens were protesting in the streets because of statues of confederate generals and leaders such as Robert E. Lee and “Stonewall” Jackson, protests took a violent turn. On Aug. 12, 2017, a car rammed into a crowd of counter-protesters during the Unite the Right rally, killing Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others.

Another situation of recent unrest is the protests by athletes which involved refusing to stand for the national anthem or standing and linking arms have also drawn fierce outcry be opponents who associate such protests with disrespecting the United States flag.

The president’s response to this has been slow and inadequate, showing a lack of interest towards the violence happening within his country. President Donald Trump responded to the violence in Charlottesville two days after a woman had died.

Meanwhile, his response to his critics has been swift and decisive. For example, when Kenneth C. Frazier criticized President Trump by resigning from the American Manufacturing Council, the president responded within the hour; however, when it comes to responding to national outcry, he chose to wait two days before condemning such a violent attack. The President also responded quickly and forcefully to members of the NFL who chose to kneel during the national anthem and even gave a quick follow up regarding standing and locking arms.

By not responding quickly and strongly, the President further strengthened tensions during a time when Americans really needed a strong leader to unite them. Instead of uniting the country, the President chose to blame the violence on both sides and not condemn white supremacists; such actions are not something that will unite the country and it shows that the president will only take serious action when it concerns himself. 

The President’s delayed and insufficient response cannot become a habit of his administration for the sake of the country. In times of turmoil, the American people have turned to the president to be a source of comfort and to address the issues and challenges facing the nation as a whole. However, the president’s actions fail to do any of this. There is a difference between being an nontraditional president who is willing to publicly use vulgarity to serve a purpose and being a president who does not fill his role and do his job in a timely manner.

The lack of action by the president to ease social unrest will likely be looked upon as a failure of the administration. Regardless of whether or not a person supports the removal of the monuments, the American people as a country must come together to condemn violence. If the American people cannot look to the president to be a leader in this time, then who can they?