The former US President has once again become the target of criticism on Twitter after issuing a statement containing only three words. Mr Trump, who exited the White House at the beginning of the year, wrote: "1776, not 1619!"

       The statement appears to be a reference to the New York Times' "1619 Project”.

       The project seeks to "reframe the country's history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative."

       In a speech made during Sunday’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Mr Trump said he intended to ban critical race theory.

       He said: "We will completely defund and bar critical race theory. 1776, not 1619, if you don't mind.

       “And if government run schools are going to teach children to hate their country, we will demand school choice that we already have.

       “If you listen to the media or watch the evening newscast, our country has really gone bad.

       “All we talk about is race. That's all they talk about. Race. The whole show - race, race.”

       Mr Trump no longer has access to his Twitter account after the social media giant banned him following the Capitol Hill riot over concerns he would incite further violence.