Trump labels Graham's remarks on Charlottesville violence a 'disgusting lie'

United States President Donald Trump has critisised fellow Republican and South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham's remarks about Saturday's deadly violence in Charlottesville as a "disgusting lie".

"Publicity seeking Lindsey Graham falsely stated that I said there is moral equivalency between the KKK, neo-Nazis & white supremacists...... ...and people like Ms. Heyer. Such a disgusting lie. He just can't forget his election trouncing. The people of South Carolina will remember!" Trump said in a series of tweets.

"Trump took a step backward by again suggesting there is moral equivalency between the white supremacist neo-Nazis and KKK members who attended the Charlottesville rally and people like Ms. Heyer. I, along with many others, do not endorse this moral equivalency," CNBC quoted Graham as saying in a statement.

Trump in a separate tweet, accused ''the Fake News'' for misrepresenting his comments.

"The public is learning (even more so) how dishonest the Fake News is. They totally misrepresent what I say about hate, bigotry etc. Shame!" Trump tweeted.

President Trump, in a press conference, earlier defended some of the white supremacy rally's participants, made the case for Confederate statues and equated neo-Nazis to leftist activist groups.

"This week, it is Robert E. Lee and this week, Stonewall Jackson. Is it George Washington next? You have to ask yourself, where does it stop?" Trump said.

The US President emphasised that both sides of the clashes contributed to the violence which happened in a white supremacists rally in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend.

Earlier, Trump had condemned the violence in Charlottesville, saying that "the hatred and division in the America must stop as we are all Americans first."

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides," he had said during a short statement, adding that he had been closely following terrible events unfolding in Virginia.

Mentioning that the current unfolding of events in Virginia is not linked to his presidency, Trump said, "It has been going on for a long time in our country - not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. It has been going on for a long, long time. It has no place in America."

"Hate and division in the country must stop. No matter our colour, creed, religion, our political party, we are all Americans first," he said, adding that he'd like for his administration to "study" why such violence is occurring.

"What is vital now is a swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent," noted Trump. "There are so many great things happening in our country, so when I watch Charlottesville, to me it is very, very sad."

Demonstrators clashed on the streets of Charlottesville ahead of a white nationalist rally, with counter-protesters and right-wing nationalist groups converging on the college town in the latest chapter in the United States' debate over race and identity.

A woman identified as Heather Heyer was killed after she was struck by a car driven into a crowd of people who were protesting a white nationalist rally in Virginia.

The protests were initiated by the city's government decision of removing the confederate past, including a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Cities and states in the United States are considering taking down Confederate monuments following the clashes at Saturday's rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which left one woman dead.