What Donald Trump's contrasting reactions to the New York terror attack and Las Vegas shooting say about him

After the Las Vegas shooting by a white American, the US president avoided making policy announcements about gun control or criticising organisations like the NRA. After the New York truck attack by a suspected Muslim foreigner, there was no such hesitation

In the wake of the New York terror attack, it has become the contrast that some claim speaks volumes about Donald Trump.

When a white American with a semi-automatic rifle killed 59 people in Las Vegas in the worst mass shooting in US history, it took Mr Trump five hours to offer his condolences, and even longer to suggest it wasn’t the time to discuss policy matters like gun control.

When an apparently Muslim Uzbek national used a hire truck to kill at least eight people in New York, there was no such hesitation. And to some, it said everything about Mr Trump's willingness to exploit fear of Muslim immigrants while doing nothing to offend his gun-loving core supporters.

Within 90 minutes of the New York attack Mr Trump had tweeted “NOT IN THE USA”, following up half an hour later with an apparent immigration reference: “We must not allow to Isis to return, or enter, our country” – all before he got round to offering his condolences to the victims and their families.

Within hours of the New York attack, Mr Trump was explicitly linking the incident to immigration policy action, informing his twitter followers: “I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program [for refugees seeking entry to the US].

And by Wednesday morning Mr Trump was trying to pin the blame on a political rival, the Democratic senator Chuck Schumer.

Yet after Stephen Paddock used a semi-automatic rifle to kill 59 and wound more than 500 in Las Vegas, it took over 24 hours and the prompting of reporters before the president so much as mentioned gun control policy – and even then he only said firearms laws would be discussed “as time goes by”.

He didn’t specify when, and amid the clamour to condemn lobby groups like the National Rifle Association, he seemed to stick closely to the line articulated by White House press secretary Sarah Huckerbee Sanders that “This isn't the time to go after individuals or organisations.”

This time, though, Mr Trump showed no qualms at all about going after individuals or organisations.

In a flurry of tweets early on Wednesday morning, he started pointing the finger of blame at his political opponent, the Senate Minority Leader and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer.

In an apparent reference to as-yet unconfirmed reports about New York terror attack suspect Sayfullo Saipov, Mr Trump wrote: “The terrorist came into our country through what is called the "Diversity Visa Lottery Program," a Chuck Schumer beauty.

“We are fighting hard for Merit Based immigration, no more Democrat Lottery Systems. We must get MUCH tougher (and smarter).

"'Senator Chuck Schumer helping to import Europes problems,' said Col.Tony Shaffer. We will stop this craziness!"

Two tweets referred his followers to the conservative TV channel Fox News, where the diversity visa lottery programme, supposedly the brainchild of Mr Schumer, was being discussed.

The seemingly obvious contrast in reactions to Las Vegas and New York provoked a near-instant response.

Many were furious that Mr Trump appeared happy to rush to make political gains by stirring up hatred against Muslims and immigrants, while deflecting questions about gun control to avoid upsetting his core supporters.

“Why can we instantly talk about stopping Isis but not the same for gun violence?” asked one twitter user.

“You bigot,” said another, ‘Pé Resists’, in response to the president’s announcement about extreme vetting of refugees. “You didn't do s**t when someone shot up 600 people a month ago, but it took you three hours to react to this.

“What's the difference? Oh yeah, this guy's a Muslim. That's literally it.”

“Why don’t you react as strongly when a domestic terrorist mows down 60 people with an automatic weapon?” demanded ‘Artie Vandelay’. “You will try to play on fear and you do so literally hours after the event. Sick.”

Immediately after Mr Trump attacked Mr Schumer, the anti-Trump writer Brian Krassenstein told him: “Meanwhile just last month an American white man killed 50 and shot 500. Yet you don't want to do anything about gun control.

“Stop using this [the New York attack] for political gain. It's pathetic weak and shows you have a simple mind.

Others pointed out that as someone born in Uzbekistan and living legally in America since 2010, Saipov would not have been caught by Mr Trump’s extreme vetting order anyway.

The executive order signed by Mr Trump on October 24 said refugees applying to enter the US from 11 “higher-risk” countries would be subject to enhanced security measures during a new 90-day review period.

The administration did not name the 11 higher-risk countries, but it is believed Saipov’s native Uzbekistan was not one of them.

Instead, the 11 countries were reported to be Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – all but North Korea and South Sudan being Muslim-majority nations.