Head of main US labour union leaves Trump panel

The president of the main US labour union resigned from Donald Trump's council on manufacturing, saying the US president's response to violent white supremacists in Charlottesville meant he tolerated "bigotry and domestic terrorism."

"We cannot sit on a council for a President who tolerates bigotry and domestic terrorism," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement yesterday announcing his immediate resignation from the panel.

"President Trump's remarks today repudiate his forced remarks yesterday about the KKK and neo-Nazis. We must resign on behalf of America's working people, who reject all notions of legitimacy of these bigoted groups."

Earlier, Trump had angrily responded to questions over whether his reaction to the weekend's rally that ended in bloodshed had fallen short, to which he again said there was "blame on both sides."