Biden says US President Trump emboldened white supremacists

Former Vice President Joe Biden has leveled harsh words at President Donald Trump for placing blame on "both sides" for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In a commentary published Sunday in The Atlantic, Biden wrote: "Today we have an American president who has publicly proclaimed a moral equivalency between neo-Nazis and Klansmen and those who would oppose their venom and hate."

He said Trump has "emboldened white supremacists with messages of comfort and support."

Biden and former President Barack Obama have kept a low profile since leaving office, carefully choosing the moments to weigh in.

In his commentary, Biden said: "This is a moment for this nation to declare what the president can't with any clarity, consistency, or conviction: There is no place for these hate groups in America."