The US President repeated his favourite taunt about Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a political opponent
He told the audience: “You were here long before any of us were here. Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas.”
His comments came during a White House ceremony honouring Navajo veterans who fought for the allied forces in the second world war, with the president speaking a portrait of President Andrew Jackson – who was known for his forceful removals of Native Americans from their ancestral lands.
After making the insensitive crack, Mr Trump turned to one of the Navajo code talkers and added: “But you know what? I like you. Because you are special.
“You are special people, you are really incredible people.”
President Trump began using the Pocahontas slur to attack Warren during the 2016 campaign, with some of Trump’s crowds even mimicking Native American war cries.
But Warren, a progressive icon from Massachusetts who has a long record of sparring with Trump, later said it was “deeply unfortunate” that “the president of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honouring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur”.
She added: “Donald Trump does this over and over thinking somehow he’s going to shut me up with it.”
Donald Trump came under a barrage of criticism after the comments, with families of the war veteran slamming the supposed joke.
Marty Thompson, whose great uncle was a Navajo Code Talker, said: “It was uncalled for.
“He can say what he wants when he’s out doing his presidential business among his people, but when it comes to honouring veterans or any kind of people, he needs to grow up and quit saying things like that.”
Pocahontas is a well-known historical figure who bridged her own Pamunkey Tribe in present-day Virginia with the British in the 17th century.
The daughter of a powerful Native American leader, her legacy was romanticised with a Disney film of the same name.
But the White House said it was “ridiculous” to consider Trump’s “Pocahontas” jab a racial slur.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “What most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career.”