The US President has denied any racist "strategy" behind a series of verbal attacks on African-Americans.
But Donald Trump found himself being accused of "hate" by a heckler during a high-profile speech in Virginia.
"I have no strategy. I have zero strategy," President Trump told reporters at the White House, when asked about his recent tirades against black and other non-white opponents, as well as the majority black city of Baltimore. "I'm not angry at anybody," he said.
Earlier, Mr Trump denounced the "horrors" of slavery in a speech in Jamestown, Virginia, celebrating the founding of the first local legislature there by English colonists 400 years ago.
In his address he noted that along with the first settlers came the first African slaves, making Jamestown a symbol not just of US democracy but of mass slavery.
"We remember every sacred soul who suffered the horrors of slavery," President Trump said, calling this the "barbaric trade in human lives."
But black Virginia state lawmakers boycotted the event, saying it had been "tarnished" by Mr Trump.
"It is impossible to ignore the emblem of hate and disdain that the president represents," the African-American lawmakers said in a statement, accusing President Trump of using "racist and xenophobic rhetoric."
In a rare interruption of a presidential speech, a Virginia state lawmaker heckled Mr Trump and held up a sign reading "Deport hate" and "Go back to your corrupted home."
President Trump paused his speech while the man was led away but did not say anything.
