The U.S. Faces Yet Another Mass Shooting

Rick Klein: “This weekend would suggest that there is little or nothing exempt from the politics of division, as practiced by President Trump. Now comes a fresh test – the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, not to mention the Trump presidency, at a country-music festival in Las Vegas overnight. The ensuing days will test the president’s tone, and – depending on what’s learned about the shooter and his motivations – is very likely to involve the president’s name in some way. Can he resist the urge to punch – or counter-punch – in a time of national tragedy, compounded by an unfolding crisis in Puerto Rico?”

“These types of stories always wind up being political, whether it’s about gun control or the sources of the dark forces in a gunman’s life. There’s a numbing familiarity to it all. What’s new to the equation is Trump, whose instincts have rarely taken him in the direction of unity. The president spent the weekend being defiantly Trump, even down to his golf-course routine. This week will challenge him to recognize what this moment calls for.”