Editorial: Trump’s true colours are those of a hate flag

First he said both the white supremacists and anti-fascists were at fault. Then, in an uncomfortable scripted statement, he said it was just the far-right. Then, on Tuesday, loose in front of cameras, he went back to blaming both. Such is the modus operandi of the world’s most powerful man.

Yes, it is laughable. But when you think that this man’s words fire and fan race hate in a country with one million Jews, it suddenly seems anything but funny.

To Jews the world over, this week has been a wake-up call, the moment the president revealed whose back he had.

To Jews, it will forever be Charlottesville where President Donald J Trump showed his true colours. And they are the colours of the Confederate flag.

It was heartening to see huge anti-fascist protests fan out across America in the wake of Charlottesville, but disheartening in the extreme that they are needed.

Who can believe that, in 2017, we are seeing a brazen and energised white nationalist movement bearing its chest tattoos on US streets? The whole situation in the States feels tinder dry and highly combustible.

Jews across the Pond will be getting twitchy. Over here, we remain on watch.