Donald Trump has claimed the protest groups who disrupted a planned campaign rally in Chicago last night are "not good groups for the country".

Mr Trump called off the rally after protests against the Republican presidential front-runner led to violent clashes.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the venue at the University of Illinois at Chicago hours before Mr Trump was due.

Speaking to Fox News earlier today, Mr Trump said "what [the protesters] are really doing is shutting down the First Amendment" - the amendment of the US Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech and right to peaceful assembly.

Speaking about the protest groups, he said, "these are not good groups for the country... All of the signs were professionally made, you can see that". He added that 25,000 people had signed up to attend the cancelled rally.

University staff had petitioned administrators to cancel the rally, citing concerns about a "hostile and physically dangerous environment".

Announcing the cancellation, the Trump campaign said he met with law enforcement officials after arriving in Chicago.

The statement added: "For the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight's rally will be postponed to another date.

.@realDonaldTrump: "What they're really doing is they're shutting down the First Amendment."https://t.co/jYREmgAEa4

— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 12, 2016