US President Donald Trump has called to fast track the death penalty for "mentally ill monsters" who commit hate crimes and mass shootings but says guns aren’t to blame.

"Hate has no place in America": Trump's response to mass shootings

The New York Times was forced to update its lead headline for today’s print edition following an outcry from the public.

The original front page headline read “TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM”, referring to President Donald Trump’s address to the nation following the mass shootings in Ohio and Texas over the weekend.

The headline was blasted by prominent Democrats who have argued Mr Trump’s daily rhetoric contributes to violent acts committed by white supremacists, accusing the paper’s headline of not reflecting this.

Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by - and often relies upon - the cowardice of mainstream institutions. https://t.co/ynjgtT66yI — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 6, 2019

Lives literally depend on you doing better, NYT. Please do. https://t.co/L4CpCb8zLi — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 6, 2019

Among the critics was Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, who accused Mr Trump of being a “racist” who was trying to make Americans “afraid” of migrants.

“He is a racist,” Mr O’Rourke told reporters in the wake of the El Paso shooting. “He is stoking racism in this country … and it fundamentally changes the character of the country and leads to violence.”

It wasn’t just Democrats who were taken aback by the headline. One of the newspaper’s own contributors, Wajahat Ali, tweeted that the headline was “terrible”.

I write for the NYT. This is a terrible headline. https://t.co/ODa8SUK9wf — Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) August 6, 2019

On social media, readers of the Times said they would be cancelling their subscriptions in protest.

It’s time for @DeanBaquet to step down as editor of the @NYTimes and for me to cancel my subscription. This headline in tomorrow’s paper is irresponsible and insulting. Enough. pic.twitter.com/Z6sV7welRg — Alex Mohajer (@AlexMohajer) August 6, 2019

Is this the day I cancel my @nytimes subscription? I've threatened a lot since that Comey front page in late October 2016. But I love so much of it. Still...yeah, I think so. This is disgusting. I'm with @BetoORourke here. https://t.co/FNUyXN9TmB — Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) August 6, 2019

Dear @nytimes: please issue an apology and write an editorial explaining that this headline should’ve been “#Trump, Who Spews Racist Rhetoric Daily Which Incites Hate and Violence, Disingenuously Urges Unity Vs. Racism”...or I’m canceling my subscription... #NYTimes pic.twitter.com/vCb8MzpniP — Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) August 6, 2019

The paper changed its headline for the newspaper’s next edition, now reading “Assailing hate but not guns”.

Ali tweeted his appreciation for the change, adding that the article itself is “excellent and worth reading”.

Headlines are not chosen by writers or reporters. The actual article underneath this headline is excellent and worth reading. The headline has been changed. Don't judge an entire paper and all the people who work there by some headlines and articles please. https://t.co/ec01WRqTHi — Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) August 6, 2019

The alleged gunman in Texas reportedly shared a manifesto online using language similar to Mr Trump’s, featuring the phrase “send them back” and referring to immigrants as “invaders”.

Mr Trump tweeted that the Texas shooting was “tragic” and an “act of cowardice”, saying that “there are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people”.

He has not addressed the Times headline controversy.