Backlash to Donald Trump's comment about the American car manufacturing industry has been slammed as "lies" by Elon Musk.
There was fury from some Democrat politicians as the former President said there would be a "bloodbath" if he loses the presidential election in November.
It comes as Trump has won a series of delays as he seeks to avoid going to trial on any of four criminal indictments before the US election on November 5.
The Republican former president aims to unseat President Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
Elon Musk has said that the "legacy media" has lied about Trump
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Speaking at the rally, Trump said: "China now is building a couple of massive plants where they're going to build the cars in Mexico and they think they're going to sell those cars into the United States with no tax at the boarder free.
"If you're listening President Xi and you and I are friends but he understands the way I deal. Those big monster car manufacturing plants that you're building in Mexico right now and you think you're going to get that and not hire Americans and you're going to sell the cars to us.
"We’re going to put a 100 per cent tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you’re not going to be able to sell those cars if I get elected.
"Now if I don’t get elected it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole – that’s going to be the least of it, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country. That’ll be the least of it. But they’re not going to sell those cars."
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Trump was speaking at the rally
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Elon Musk took to social media to accuse what he called "legacy media" of "lies" about the comment.
Meanwhile, Republican representative from Ohio Mike Turner said Sunday it was clear that former President Donald Trump’s reference to "a bloodbath" should he lose the November election pertained to the auto industry, not to a surge of political violence.
Responding to the backlash to Trump's comments, Novara Media co-founder Aaron Bastani said: "This is categorical, unashamed fake news. It’s active misinformation.
"Trump was talking about Chinese cars manufactured in Mexico! Utterly appalling - people don’t trust the media because of this stuff. It’s unadulterated fake news."
Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy told NBC’s Meet the Press that he was dubious about the uproar over Trump’s language on Saturday, however he was more sceptical about the way Trump speaks, admitting it does leave him open to frequent criticism.
He said: "You could also look at the definition of bloodbath and it could be an economic disaster. And so if he’s speaking about the auto industry, in particular in Ohio, then you can take it a little bit more context.
"The general tone of the speech is why many Americans continue to wonder, 'Should President Trump be president?' That kind of rhetoric, it’s always on the edge, maybe doesn’t cross, maybe does depending upon your perspective."
Meanwhile, former Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN's State of the Union: "We just have to win this election, because he’s even predicting a bloodbath...What does that mean? He’s going to exact a bloodbath?"
