US PRESIDENT Donald Trump took aim at the Black Lives Matter movement as he vowed to defeat the “radical left” in a bombastic Independence Day speech on Saturday.

He promised to build a “national garden of American heroes” with statues marking the country’s heritage, at a time when those associated with racism and slavery are being torn down.

“We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters and the people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing,” he said.

“We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children.”

Mr Trump, who has been accused of white supremacist sympathies, insisted: “The patriots who built our country were not villains. They were heroes.”

In a bizarre twist, rapper Kanye West announced his intention to stand in November’s presidential elections.

The Trump supporter tweeted on Saturday: “We must now realise the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States.”

It is not clear if Mr West has filed the necessary papers to be a candidate in the poll.