Trump warns of ‘bloodbath’ if he’s not elected president

The former president criticised what he said were Chinese plans to build cars in Mexico and sell them to Americans during a rally in Ohio.

Donald Trump took aim at Joe Biden’s immigration policies during a rally in Vandalia, Ohio. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump says November’s presidential election will be the “most important date”, warning there would be a “bloodbath” if he were not re-elected president.

Painting his campaign for the White House as a turning point for the country, the presumptive Republican nominee repeated well-worn criticisms at the weekend that his rival, President Joe Biden, was the “worst” president.

“The date – remember this, November 5 – I believe it’s going to be the most important date in the history of our country,” the 77-year-old told a rally at Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

Criticising what he said were Chinese plans to build cars in Mexico and sell them to Americans, Mr Trump said: “They’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. But they’re not going to sell those cars.”

Earlier this month, Mr Trump and Mr Biden each won enough delegates to clinch their party nominations in the presidential race, all but assuring a rematch and setting up one of the longest election campaigns in US history.

Among the issues Mr Trump is campaigning on is sweeping ­reform of what he calls Mr Biden’s “horror show” immigration policies, despite successfully pressuring Republicans to block a bill in congress that included the toughest border security measures in decades.

He again invoked the border on Saturday as he reached out to minorities who have traditionally voted Democrat.

He said Mr Biden had “repeatedly stabbed African-American voters in the back” by granting work permits to “millions” of immigrants, warning they and Hispanic Americans “are going to be the ones that suffer the most”.

For decades Ohio had been seen as a bellwether battleground state, though it has trended more strongly Republican since Mr Trump’s White House win in 2016.

The rally came a day after Mr Trump’s former vice-president, Mike Pence, said he would not endorse his old boss for a second White House term.

AFP