Former Vice President Joe Biden has said he hopes Donald Trump’s behaviour as President will be an outlier in American history.

Speaking to host Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, Mr Biden said he initially vowed to give Mr Trump an “even shot” after the election – but that the President’s response to a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville forced him to change his perspective.

“Charlottesville for me was a moment where I thought silence would be complicity,” Mr Biden said, referring to Mr Trump's delayed, controversial response to the neo-Nazi violence in Virginia that left one dead and 19 injured.

Mr Bided noted that there are certain things “you just can't remain silent” about.

“To not have an outright, flat condemnation of that…I thought the silence was deafening,” Mr Biden added.

The former Democratic vice president under Barack Obama said the events in Charlottesville triggered him to speak out against racism.

In August, white supremacist demonstrators descended on Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee. The rally, met by counter-protests, quickly became violent.

Mr Trump received widespread criticism for insisting that white supremacists and neo-Nazis and did not deserve 100 per cent of the blame for what happened. He was also condemned for appearing to defend the hate groups when he said, “You also had some very fine people on both sides.”

Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Show all 15 1 /15 Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden watch Barack Obama's farewell speech on 11 January. Obama called Biden his 'brother' Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years US President Barack Obama speaks alongside US Vice President Joe Biden about the Affordable Care Act AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama is applauded by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden while delivering his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. Vice President Joe Biden interjects as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a reception for the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House in Washington REUTERS Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Obama and Vice President Joe Biden react after a heckler was removed for their extended interruption (Reuters) Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) as Vice President Joe Biden looks on Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack and Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden observing a moment of silence outside the White House to mark the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack Obama and Joe Biden putt on the White House putting green Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama and Joe Biden in April 2013 AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years January 1, 2013: U.S. President Barack Obama winks as he arrives with Vice President Joe Biden (L) in the briefing room Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011 in Washington, DC Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice-President Joe Biden, right, confirmed that the US was looking at ways of taking legal action against Julian Assange - back in December 2010 GETTY IMAGES Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden, left, and retired military officers watch President Barack Obama sign orders to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2009 GETTY IMAGES

When asked how Mr Trump's un-presidential behaviour will influence future presidents, Mr Biden dryly replied: “I think it will, God willing, go down as the single exception in American history.”

“I mean, I just think there's an attack on the system, and I think people are worried, and by the way, and it goes beyond President Trump, in my view,” he added.

Mr Biden, who is currently promoting his new book, “Promise Me, Dad”, declined to say if he would consider running for president in 2020.

“I want to focus on Beau and my grandkids. We'll see where it goes,” he said, referring to his son who died of brain cancer in 2015.

On Monday, he said he hadn't decided yet on whether to run.

“I'm not closing the door. I've been around too long,” he said during an interview with NBC’s Today show. “I'm a great respecter of fate.”