Almost one in ten Americans believe it is acceptable to hold white supremacist or neo-Nazi views, according to a poll.

A survey for the Washington Post and ABC News found that 9% of people in the US think such views are reasonable.

The poll was carried out in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white supremacists marched last week. President Donald Trump was criticised in the poll for his handling of events.

The survey asked its 1,000 participants it they thought it was acceptable or unacceptable to hold neo-Nazi or white supremacist views.

While 83% said it was unacceptable, 3% felt ‘strongly’ that such views were acceptable, with a further 6% saying they were ’somewhat’ acceptable. Another 8% had no opinion.

The figure of 9% equates roughly to about 22 million Americans, pollsters said.

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A similar percentage (10%) said they supported the so-called alt-right movement, while 50% said they were against it.

The poll also revealed that more than half of Americans (56%) disapproved of Donald Trump’s response to the violence in Charlottesville, where white supremacists and anti-racism protesters clashed, resulting in the death of a woman who was hit by a car.

The US president was criticised for his soft stance on white supremacy when he said there was blame on both sides.

Donald Trump’s approval rating remains low (Picture: AP)

The poll found that 42% of people believe Mr Trump had put white supremacists on an ‘equal footing’ with their opponents.

The survey put the president’s approval rating at just 37%, while 58% of Americans disapprove of how he is handling his job.

This is the same approval held by Mr Trump in mid-July, the lowest on record for a president after his first six months in office.