Donald Trump has blamed Antifa and the 'radical left' for unrest across America in the wake George Floyd's death, saying: "Don't lay the blame on others!"
The president used his Twitter feed to repeatedly call into question the motives of protesters on Saturday morning, insisting that there were "organized groups that have nothing to do with George Floyd" pushing the protests, including anti-fascist groups.
At one point on Friday night, the White House went into partial lockdown due to protesters nearby.
Today Mr Trump dismissed as "professionally managed so-called protesters" who "had little to do with the memory of George Floyd".
He also appeared to call for a counter protest, tweeting: "Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???"
The president's claims came as the governor of Minnesota claimed protests over the death of George Floyd had been hijacked by extremists, domestic terrorists and possibly even foreign forces.
"The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd," said Tim Walz, "it is about attacking civil society, instilling fear, and disrupting our great cities."
It followed a night of widespread looting and arson in Minneapolis and nearby St Paul, in defiance of local curfews.
When reporters asked about rumours that white supremacists were secretly infiltrating Black Lives Matter protests and instigating violence, Mr Walz said: "My suspicions and what I've seen on this, yes. It gets worse than that. The cartels, who are wondering if there was a break in their drug transmissions, are trying to take advantage of the chaos. That's why this situation is on a federal level."
