Donald Trump has doubled down on comments he made about there being blame on “all sides” for violence in Charlottesville, following a meeting with a black senator.

Earlier this week, the President met with Tim Scott, the only African American Republican in the US Senate. Mr Scott wanted to discuss Mr Trump’s response to the violence that left one young woman dead, and to press him to have a more diverse staff.

Mr Scott said Mr Trump was receptive to what he had to say and that he “wanted to make sure we were clear on the delineation between who’s on which side, and the history of the nation”.

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But on a flight back from Florida, Mr Trump repeated his previous assertion that both sides were to blame for the violence that left 32-year-old Heather Heyer dead.

“We had a great talk yesterday. I think especially in light of the advent of Antifa, if you look at what’s going on there. You have some pretty bad dudes on the other side also and essentially that’s what I said,” Mr Trump said.

“Now, because of what’s happened since then with Antifa. When you look at really what’s happened since Charlottesville, a lot of people are saying and people have actually written, ‘Gee, Trump may have a point’. I said there’s some very bad people on the other side also.”

Mr Trump faced widespread criticism following the violence last month that also left up to 20 people injured. The clashes took place as scores of white supremacists and neo-Nazis gathered in the Virginia college town to protest over plans to remove a statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee. They were met by dozens of counterprotesters, among them Ms Heyer.

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

Mr Scott had previously been critical of Mr Trump’s comments, saying that there was a need for the President to display “clarity and moral authority” and that his comments about equivalence on both sides had compromised that authority. “Racism is real. It is alive. It is here,” said Mr Scott.

According to NBC, during the 40-minute meeting on Wednesday, Mr Scott said he told Trump about the history of “three or four centuries of rape, murder and death brought at the hands of the KKK and people who believe in a superior race”.

Mr Scott said after the meeting that he had made clear that there was no equivalency to those protesting white nationalism at the rally.

On Air Force One, Mr Trump was asked if Mr Scott had raised the issue of hiring more people of colour among this staff.

“We did talk about that, yeah. It’s something I do and I certainly would continue to do. We talked about that,” said Mr Trump. “I told him I would do it and he knows we’ve already done it. But I told him and I told him very strongly I like that.”