Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s former pastor, on Monday gave a defiant address in Washington that looks likely to add to Mr Obama’s growing vulnerability ahead of a critical primary in Indiana next week against Hillary Clinton, his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Mr Wright, whom many of Mr Obama’s supporters were hoping would maintain a lower profile, denied that the Illinois senator had “denounced” his controversial remarks and said he had merely “distanced himself [from me] because he is a politician”.