(CNN)President Donald Trump's examination on race is not over, not by a long shot.
Trump finally bent to intense pressure and called out white supremacist groups on Monday, as the fallout from rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, that led to a woman's death rocked his administration.
But the real Donald Trump is not typically revealed in the Diplomatic Room of the White House, where he made a formal, scripted statement that attempted to manufacture the political space required to move on from the controversy.
Given that Trump's natural habitat is on Twitter or in ad-libbed sparring with reporters, the true measure of his sincerity over Charlottesville will come only when the next racial uproar erupts and the President fires off his heat-of-the-moment response.
Bannon lays low amid high White House tensions
Bannon lays low amid high White House tensions
That instinctive reflex was what got him into trouble Saturday, when he condemned violence on "many sides," appearing to draw a moral equivalence between neo-Nazis and opponents who showed up to protest their rally.
It took two days for Trump to concede he needed to clean things up, as it became clear the episode was not just the latest lurching twist in a reality-defying political era, but had real potential to seriously damage his presidency.
In a sign that that the President's comments had failed to quell the controversy, the CEOs of Intel and Under Armour announced Monday night they would follow Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier in quitting Trump's manufacturing council.
CNN Money: CEOs outraged after Charlottesville - and three quit Trump council
He won some plaudits, especially from his own party, for the robust, uncompromising tone of his Monday statement in which he declared: "racism is evil."
"Those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans," Trump said.
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said the President was "clearly communicating the evilness of racism."
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted: "Well done Mr. President."
Many Washington politicians and pundits conceded that it was important Trump had said what he said. Yet there was still some disquiet that it took him so long to take a such a clear stand.
John McCain takes on H.R. McMaster critics
John McCain takes on H.R. McMaster critics
"Today, the President's remarks were clear and specific. However, they would have been more impactful on Sunday," said Sen. Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, tweeted. "I hope this serves as a lesson for all that when a community grieves, when Americans look for guidance after such a crushing and devastating attack like the one that unraveled this weekend in Charlottesville, we must take a firm stance against hate and violence."
Trump will likely have to do more to convince skeptics he was speaking from the heart -- partly because his social media posts have often been a more faithful representation of his inner thoughts than his official statements.
"Made additional remarks on Charlottesville and realize once again that the #Fake News Media will never be satisfied...truly bad people!" Trump tweeted Monday afternoon.
