Trump: I’ll shut down US to build my Mexican wall
“a platform”. He accused the media of being “very dishonest” as he turned to speaking about the fatal violence which erupted last week at a far-Right demo in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The President was widely criticised at the time for failing to solely condemn the white supremacists over the clashes.
He only bowed to pressure and criticised the hate groups by name – including the KKK – two days after the violence.
Bigotry
That saw Heather Heyer, 32, killed when a car ploughed into anti-fascist protesters.
In his latest tirade on Tuesday night Mr Trump recounted his now-infamous statement, which he produced from his jacket pocket.
To cheers from the crowd he repeated the phrase: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence.”
But he fell short of repeating the next three words – “on many sides” – for which he was accused of equating the counter-protesters with neo-Nazis.
Prime Minister Theresa May appeared to criticise the President after his initial comments.
She said: “I see no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them.
“It is important for all those in positions of responsibility to condemn far-Right views wherever we hear them.”
And Communities Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: “NeoNazis: bad, Anti-Nazis: good, I learned that as a child.”
Mr Trump’s latest speech was aimed at buoying core support after he backtracked on his pre-election calls for an end to the Afghanistan war.
Trouble flared outside the convention centre after a day of largely peaceful protest.
Police, who had been on high alert at the first political rally since the Charlottesville bloodshed, fired pepper spray to disperse a crowd after bottles and rocks were thrown.