Donald Trump has tweeted to say he supports the aim of a violent far-right protest in Virginia, during which a counter-demonstrator was killed.
White nationalist groups - including neo-Nazis and members of the KKK - marched in Charlottesville to protest against the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee.
Such Confederate monuments are seen by many people in the US as a symbol of racism and slavery.
There have been increasing efforts to remove Confederate monuments across the US, with officials in Baltimore having ordered their removal overnight on Tuesday / Wednesday in the wake of the Charlottesville violence.
US Senator Cory Booker is introducing a bill to have Confederate statues removed from the US Capitol building in Washington DC.
However, President Trump has now tweeted to say the history and culture of the US is being "ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues".
Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
...can't change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson - who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish! Also...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
...the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
