Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption An anti-racism group had offered $5,000 to anyone who heckled Mr Trump's appearance

US presidential contender Donald Trump's opening monologue on TV comedy show Saturday Night Live was disrupted by a heckler shouting "Racist!".

But the interruption was from comedian Larry David - joking that he wanted to claim the reward offered by a Latino rights group angry at Mr Trump's statements on Mexican immigrants.

The group, Deport Racism, tweeted that Mr David had won the "bounty".

Mr Trump told the audience he was there "to show I can take a joke".

Will Trump suffer SNL curse?

David - who had appeared as Democrat Bernie Sanders earlier in the show - said "I heard if I yelled that they'd give me $5,000".

"As a businessman," Mr Trump said, "I can fully respect that."

The comedian's interjection was the only sign of protest inside the studio, but Latino and other anti-racism demonstrators chanted outside broadcaster NBC's New York base as the show went out.

When he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination, Mr Trump described Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug smugglers.

Soon afterwards, NBC dropped the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants co-owned by Mr Trump, saying "respect and dignity for all people" were "cornerstones of our values".

Image copyright AP Image caption Protesters chanted in English and Spanish outside NBC's New York studios

Image copyright Twitter/NBC Image caption Mr Trump appeared alongside two "lookalikes" who have played him in SNL sketches

Image copyright Twitter/NBC Image caption The candidate also featured in a pre-recorded sketch, covering Drake's Hotline Bling

The network announced last month that Mr Trump would return to the airwaves for a one-off appearance on SNL.

He had previously hosted the show in 2004.

While Mr Trump's campaign officials have not commented on the protest, he said in June that he was on good terms with his Hispanic employees and that "Latinos love Trump, and I love them".