Barack Obama has urged Democrats to work harder at a "grassroots level" in comments that appeared aimed at Hillary Clinton's defeated campaign.

With the party still coming to terms with the shock defeat to Donald Trump last Tuesday, the president said he didn't want to be telling the Democrats how to move forward.

"I think it's important for me not to be big-footing," he said. "I think we want to see new voices and new ideas emerge."

But he did suggest that the Republican won because he covered more ground and energised his supporters more.

"We have to compete everywhere. We have to show up everywhere. We have to work at a grassroots level," he said, pointing to Iowa, a state that he won and Mrs Clinton lost.