Attorney General Jeff Sessions has vigorously defended Donald Trump’s response to bloody protests in Charlottesville, Virgina, saying the President “clearly” denounced such violence and that “he totally opposes” the values of white supremacist groups.

After Mr Trump received backlash for what critics viewed as equivocal comments on Saturday regarding the white nationalist protest, the White House on Sunday released another statement insisting that Mr Trump “condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred and of course that includes white Supremacists, KKK, neo-nazi and all extremist groups.”

Reporters and pundits continue to point out that Mr Trump, who tends to be extremely vocal on Twitter about his thoughts, has still not made a statement himself denouncing white supremacy organisations. The statement released on Sunday by the White House was attributed to an unnamed spokesperson.

In an interview with NBC, Mr Sessions – who has faced accusations of racism that he has vehemently denied – said the President will be conferring with advisers and would “do what is correct” in relation to the Virginia incident.

“Well [Mr Trump] made a very strong statement that directly contradicted the ideology of hatred, violence, bigotry, racism, white supremacy — those things must be condemned in this country,” Mr Sessions said. “They’re totally unacceptable, and you can be sure that this Department of Justice, in his administration, is going to take the most vigorous action to protect the right of people...to protest against racism and bigotry.”

Mr Sessions was denied a federal judgeship more than 30 years ago amid explosive allegations of racial discrimination.

Washington was on high alert just a few weeks ago over whether Mr Trump would fire Mr Sessions. Along with attacking the Attorney General on Twitter, the President publicly acknowledged that he was angry with Mr Sessions for recusing himself from an investigation into Trump campaign advisers' alleged ties to Russia.

In his first response to the violence, Mr Trump did not directly denounce the actions of the neo-Nazis, skinheads, and members of the KKK who descended on Charlottesville, Virginia earlier to protest the removal of a Confederate statue. The rally of white nationalists, met by counter-protests, quickly became violent, prompting the governor to declare a ‘state of emergency’.

While most of the brawling resulted in cuts and bruises, a car bearing Ohio license plates plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a 32-year-old woman and injuring at least 19 others. James Fields, 20, the alleged driver, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Mr Fields was photographed earlier in the day before Saturday’s violence with a neo-Nazi group.

Mr Trump, who has been at his New Jersey golf club for a 17-day “working vacation”, is returning to Washington briefly on Monday to sign an executive action on China’s trade practices. He will also meet with Mr Sessions and new FBI Director Christopher Wray about Charlottesville before heading to Trump Tower in New York.

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.

Mr Sessions told ABC that the incident involving a car ramming into a crowd of demonstrators “does meet the definition of domestic terrorism” in US law.

“We are pursuing it in the [Justice Department] in every way that we can make a case,” Mr Sessions said.

“You can be sure we will charge and advance the investigation towards the most serious charges that can be brought because this is unequivocally an unacceptable evil attack,” he said. “Terrorism investigators from the FBI are working on the case as well as civil rights division FBI agents.”

Speaking from a stage at his golf club in New Jersey, President Trump on Saturday decried “violence on all sides” rather than explicitly taking aim at far-right extremists, some of whom are his supporters.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides,” he said. “On many sides.”

Neo-nazis applauded Mr Trump’s first response to the violent clashes, saying that it was “really, really good” that the President did not condemn them.

Both Republican and Democratic members of Congress were critical of Mr Trump's first tepid denouncement of the violence in Virginia, viewing his comments as muted and equivocal.