The International civil rights icon, who was a White House advisor to former president Barack Obama, told the Independent the President had worsened race relations in the US.
"I think that Trump represents a backlash of the eight years of President Obama and has given every dog whistle or racial signal to the worst elements in American society," he said.
The talk show host, who has his own radio show, Keepin' it Real, accused Mr Trump's administration of trying to negatively impact positive changes his predecessors had introduced.
"He is trying to turn back the clock on voting rights, on health care, and on people's civil rights and liberties. We are determined that while he can turn back the clock, he will not turn back time."
Sharpton also argued Trump's often shocking and divisive rhetoric has inspired and made the so-called "alt-right" movement in the US more powerful.
"Trump has emboldened the far right to come out with a lot of racism, xenophobia and homophobia," he said.
Referencing the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville last summer, which left a 20-year-old man woman dead, he added: "When you have the president of the United States making a moral equivalence between neo-Nazis - saying there are 'some good people there' - and comparing them to people protesting against confederate statues which represent slavery then they become emboldened because they have the imprimatur of the Oval Office.
"It's embarrassing to have to explain to people in the UK and the rest of the world why we have a president who tweets the most ridiculous and the most divisive stuff. He has lowered the dignity of the office."
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