Donald Trump has been accused of lying “directly to the American people” at a rally in Arizona by a CNN anchor.

The President’s address to the crowd in Phoenix was “a total eclipse of the facts”, Don Lemon said.

He also claimed Mr Trump was trying to rewrite history about his response to the violence in the Virginian city of Charlottesville, where a far right protest over the decision to removal a statute of Confederate General Robert E Lee led to clashes between white supremacists and counter protesters.

One of those counter protesters, Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when a car drove into a crowd of them. The man suspected of being the driver, James Fields Jr, 20, has been charged with second degree murder

Mr Trump claimed the media had distorted their reporting of his response to the which saw him as he blame "many sides” for the violence and stop short of explicitly condemning the far right.

Following the furore, Mr Trump initially rolled back his comments but later doubled down on them and said his response had been “perfect” during his 77-minute speech at the rally.

In his speech to his supporters, he attacked the decision to remove Civil War statues saying: "They're trying to take away our culture. They're trying to take away our history".

He called those calling for the removal of the statues honouring people who tried to save the slave-owning Confederacy in the 19th century as "weak, weak people".

In a piece to camera, Mr Lennon said he had to “speak from the heart” and joined a host of other critics who have questioned Mr Trump’s fitness for office.

Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Show all 8 1 /8 Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade A marcher hold a sign that reads "Love is Love is Love" on the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background during the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Marchers unfurl a huge rainbow flag as they prepare to march in the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Marchers gather to hear speakers at the end of the Los Angeles LGBTQ #ResistMarch AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Gil Mendez, of San Francisco, holds a sign to honor the victims of the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando as he marches during the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade An demonstrator looks on as LGBT members and their supporters take part of the Equality March for Unity AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade A marcher listens to speakers at the end of the Los Angeles LGBTQ #ResistMarch AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade LGBT members and their supporters take part of the Equality March for Unity AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade A marcher mugs for the camera during the Los Angeles LGBTQ #ResistMarch AP

He said: “He’s unhinged, it’s embarrassing. I don’t mean for us the media because he went after us but the country. This is who we elected President of the United States. A man so petty he has to go after people he deems to be his enemies like the imaginary friend of a six year old.

“His speech was without thought, it was without reason. It was devoid of facts, it was devoid of wisdom, there was no gravitas, there was no sanity there. He was like a child blaming a sibling for something else. He certainly reopened the race wound from Charlottesville."

He added that the President was "a man clearly wounded by the rational people who are abandoning him in droves. A man backed into a corner by circumstances beyond his control and beyond his understanding.