As of 13 August, US President Donald Trump's approval rating according to Gallup reached a low of 34% following his remarks in response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a clash between white supremacists and anti-racist demonstrators. A day after the incident which took place on 11 August, Trump issued a series of tweets urging the public to be "united & condemn all that hate stands for".

He followed it with a call for "swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent lives" but critics were unhappy with what they saw as vague remarks and passing mention of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, who was killed when a "white lives matter" supporter James Alex Fields Jr rammed his car into counter-protesters.

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Two days after his ambiguous tweets, the president was forced to issue a more definitive statement. "Racism is evil," he said, delivering a statement from the White House. "And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans."

Trump critics were still displeased with the almost-lenient castigation which many opined could be easily misinterpreted by far-right groups as made by a president under pressure who felt sympathy for their cause.

Adding fuel to the fire, the Potus returned to Twitter to slam Merck Pharmaceuticals head Kenneth C Frazier, the first of three CEOs who resigned from the American Manufacturing Council in response to Trump's Charlottesville reaction.

"Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!" he tweeted. He later turned his attention back to the press which he slammed for criticising his delays in addressing the attack.

"Made additional remarks on Charlottesville and realize once again that the #Fake News Media will never be satisfied...truly bad people!" he posted after telling CNN's Jim Acosta that he was "fake news" at a press event in Washington.

Despite delayed efforts on his part, Trump's handling of the situation is still not sitting well with most, who took to Twitter to shame the president.

charlottesville white supremacist fascist protests
A man carries a sign reading: 'Wake up and smell the Nazis' during an anti-fascism rally outside the White House in Washington, DC Jonathan Ernst/Reuters