claims rioters are being funded by some 'very stupid rich people'

Donald Trump has said an investigation is underway into 'a plane full of thugs' intent on causing chaos which he says flew to Washington DC for the Republican National Convention.

The president made the comment in an hour-long interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News on Monday where he slammed Democrat-run cities, said Portland has been 'burning for decades' and painted a bleak picture of what America will look like when he leaves office.

During the interview, Trump said that his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, was having his 'strings' pulled by 'people you have never heard of, people in the dark shadows.'

Ingraham replied: 'What does that mean? That sounds like conspiracy theory.'

But Trump replied: 'They are people that are on the streets, people who are controlling the streets.

'We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city, this weekend. And in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that. They're on a plane.'

When asked for details, he replied: 'I'll tell you some time. It's under investigation right now.'

Trump's statement came on the same day that he defended the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse - the 17-year-old who shot two people dead during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Trump said the teen - a supporter of the president - 'probably would have been killed' by an angry mob if he hadn't fired at them with the illegal gun he was carrying.

Donald Trump appeared on Fox News on Monday evening and spoke of a 'plane of thugs'

The president told Laura Ingraham that he could not publicly disclose details of the flights

The Kenosha shooting came amid nationwide protests against police violence, which Trump claims are being funded by outside influencers. In the interview, Trump told Ingraham that someone on a flight 'from a certain city' to Washington DC for the convention saw the crowd of 'thugs'.

'This person was coming to the Republican National Convention and there were like seven people in the plane [with] this person, and then a lot of people were on the plane to do big damage,' Trump insisted. He also said the money for the protests is coming from 'very stupid rich people', who were fomenting violence that has continued throughout the country for months.

'The money is coming from some very stupid rich people [who] have no idea that if their thing ever succeeded, which it won't, they will be thrown to the wolves like you've never seen before,' he said. The president said the money for the protests is coming from 'very stupid rich people', who were fomenting violence.

While Trump spoke at the RNC, yells and chants could be heard from protesters in the background

Attendees at the last night of the Republican National Convention were assaulted and accosted by a large crowd of demonstrators as they left the White House on Thursday night.

Footage from the streets surrounding Pennsylvania Avenue showed one white-haired man being punched in the back of the head and later knocked to the ground by a mob of activists who also threw water over him. Meanwhile RNC committeeman Chris Ager and his wife were repeatedly abused by a balaclava-wearing protester who threatened to 'f*** you up' as they tried to get into the doors of their hotel.