Trump takes a swipe at the media over Martin Luther King bust at African American listening event

President Donald Trump told members of the African American community that a report that he removed a bust of Dr Martin Luther King from the Oval Office was "fake news".

Attending a listening session dedicated to African American History Month in Washington DC on Wednesday, he praised the civil rights icon and called the report that he had removed the bust a "disgrace".

Trump, who was joined at event by his Housing and Urban Development nominee Ben Carson, said: "Last month we celebrated the life of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr whose incredible example is unique in American history.

"You read all about Dr Martin Luther King a week ago when somebody said I took the statue out of my office. And it turned out that that was fake news."

"The statue is cherished, it's one of the favourite things, and we have some good ones. We have Lincoln, we have Jefferson, and we have Dr Martin Luther King and we have others," Trump added.

Time magazine journalist Zeke Miller, who first wrote the story, quickly acknowledged the error saying that a obstructed his view of the bust when reporters were allowed into the room briefly after Trump's swearing in.

Gesturing to media present at the event, Trump said: "They said the statue, the bust of Dr Martin Luther King, was taken out of the office.

"And it was never even touched. So I think it was a disgrace but that's the way the press is. Very unfortunate."

Trump also told representatives that he did better in the African American community than presidential candidates in previous years.