Trump blames 'many sides' for white nationalist rally violence in Virginia

US President Donald Trump has condemned hatred and violence "on many sides" as clashes between white nationalist demonstrators and anti-racist counter-protesters left one dead in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides," Mr Trump said from Bedminster, New Jersey, where he is on a working vacation.

"It's been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump. Not Barack Obama. It's been going on for a long, long time."

In his call for unity the Republican president stopped short of denouncing the white supremacist groups that descended on the normally peaceful university city of for a far-right rally that erupted in violence.

"The hate and the division must stop right now," he added.

"We have to come together as Americans with love for our nation."

His comments echoed an earlier Tweet that "ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for."

The violent skirmishes between members of the far-right - including Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi sympathizers - and counter-demonstrators saw one person killed after a car rammed into a crowd.

According to multiple witnesses, the victims of the car ramming were counter-protestors denouncing the so-called "alt-right."

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe had earlier declared a state of emergency.