Rob Crilly writes:

When Donald Trump addressed the nation in the aftermath of the country’s latest and most deadly mass shooting, he managed, for once, to set aside the differences and divisions that propelled him to power. He remembered that in times of darkness his role is to be the consoler-in-chief.

“In moments of tragedy and horror, America comes together as one…. we call upon the bonds that unite us – our faith, our family and our shared values. We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community and the comfort of our common humanity,” he said.

“Our unity cannot be shattered by evil, our bonds cannot be broken by violence, and, though we feel such great anger at the senseless murder of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us today and always will forever.”

It was what the nation needed from its president. There was no room for politicking. That would have been wrong.

What a contrast, it might seem, with the advocates of gun control, who showed no such reticence in rushing to make the case for tightening legislation. Hillary Clinton pointed out on Twitter that the crowds in Las Vegas began running at the first sound of gunshots at a time when the National Rifle Association is trying to make it easier to buy silencers.

“Our grief isn't enough,” she wrote. “We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening again.”

But hang on. Isn't this the Donald Trump who responded to the failed Parsons Green bombing last month by touting his stalled travel ban and demanding terrorists be “dealt with in a much tougher manner”? Isn't it the Trump who responded to the Orlando nightclub shooting, America's most deadly gun massacre until this one, by noting that he had predicted such an attack and blaming it on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?

If that isn't politicking after a tragedy, nothing is. What gives?