The only black Republican in the Senate said Donald Trump "got it" after he met with him to discuss the President diversifying his staff and his response to Charlottesville.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the first black Senator from the American Deep South, said that the pair spoke for about 45 minutes and “discussed everything from legislative remedies for those living in poverty, to the incident in Charlottesville, to some of the other issues that are important — diversifying staff (at the White House)”.

He said Mr Trump "got it" and seemed to understand the Charlottesville situation after the meeting as well as being "on board" with diversifying staff.

Mr Scott openly criticised the President for his remarks following the violence that resulted in three deaths - one counter-protester and two Virginia State Police officers - in Charlottesville, Virginia last month.

Protesters who wanted to keep a statue of Civil War Confederate General Robert E Lee intact were comprised of members of the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis with torches, various white supremacist groups, and others.

They clashed with protesters wanting the city to remove the statue because they felt it was a reminder of centuries of brutal slavery and honoured someone who was ultimately a traitor to the US government.

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.

Counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed after a car was driven into a crowd. A man has been charged over the killing and a number of other offenses.

Mr Trump said that “many sides” were responsible for the violence in Charlottesville.

He later condemned the hate groups in question by name, but kept repeating his stance that there were some good people on the so-called alt-right side and they were just “being treated very badly” by the US media.

Much of the President’s ire was focused on the media’s coverage of the incident and his responses.

Mr Scott said he gave Mr Trump some historical context to frame why he was so widely criticised about his response.

“While there were folks on both sides, some antagonism on both sides — the reality of it was we have three or four centuries of history in this nation around white supremacy, the KKK, neo-Nazis...but they're raping and murdering people of colours for three centuries,” Mr Scott said he told the President.

However, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had a different characterisation of the conversation.

She said Mr Scott did not express his dismay with Mr Trump’s response to Charlottesville and that the two were focused on developing solutions for the future.

Mr Scott, in response to Ms Sanders’ apparent misunderstanding, said he “certainly started my comments on why I found the president’s comments unsettling”.