'Loath to admit a mistake': Trump pride prevented him from making Charlottesville statement sooner

President Donald Trump was attacked as the moments ticked by while he avoided making a statement blaming white supremacists and Nazis for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. The reason, according to an Associated Press report, was Trump's pride.

"Loath to appear to be admitting a mistake, Trump was reluctant to adjust his remarks," the AP wrote Tuesday.

Trump finally did come out Monday to denounce the KKK and Nazis after two days of refusing to do so. The AP cited White House advisers that said Trump wanted to emphasize the need for "law and order" but he was angry the media didn't think he denounced the bigotry.

Chief of staff John Kelly reportedly encouraged him to make a more specific statement about the groups involved in Charlottesville. He specifically told the president that the story wasn't going away and the criticism was only going to get worse.

While aides were sent to represent Trump on the Sunday morning talk shows, all they could do was cite the White House statement, not the president. The situation escalated when stronger statement came from Vice President Mike Pence's naming “these dangerous fringe groups have no place in American public life.” Making matters worse, Pence was enroute to Venezuela to help manage the unrest while Trump sat in his New Jersey resort on a "working vacation."

By Monday, Trump was forced out of his 17-day vacation to meet with advisors and finally make the statement he did.

“We must love each other, show affection for each other and unite together in condemnation of hatred, bigotry and violence,” Trump said reading from a teleprompter.