Donald Trump’s values are not necessarily America’s values, according to Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State, who ignited fresh questions on Sunday about the fall-out from the president’s handling of violence in Charlottesville earlier this month.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Mr Tillerson was asked about Mr Trump’s comments apparently finding moral equivalence between white supremacists and the people who marched against them.

His response – in which he said there should be do doubt about the US government’s commitment to long-held values but that the president “speaks for himself” - suggests he is the latest senior administration figure to distance himself from Mr Trump’s position.