The White House on Tuesday declined to "guarantee" that Donald Trump had never been recorded using the n-word as he faced claims of racism from a former aide.

Asked if she could say with absolute certainty the American people would never hear such a tape, Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said: "I cannot guarantee anything".

The surprise admission came after former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman claimed Mr Trump had been recorded using the racial slur while filming his reality TV show The Apprentice.

Ms Sanders said: "I can't guarantee anything. But I can tell you that the president addressed this question directly on Twitter. I can tell you that I've never heard it."

When pressed on the issue a second time, Ms Sanders said: "Look, I haven't been in every single room. I can tell you the president has addressed this directly. He has addressed it directly to the American people.

"I can tell you what the focus and heart of the president is, and that is helping all Americans".