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May 2, 2016, 8:20 AM UTC / Updated May 2, 2016, 3:02 PM UTC

Donald Trump has taken his rhetoric about China to a new level, accusing the country of "raping" the U.S.

China's trade policy has been a frequent target of the Republican frontrunner. In the past, Trump claimed the country's currency devaluation would "suck the blood out" of America.

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He upped the ante on Sunday at a rally in Indiana.

"We can't continue to allow China to rape our country," he told a crowd in Fort Wayne. "That's what they're doing. It's the greatest theft in the history of the world."

Trump previously has come under fire for using offensive or degrading language.

At the same Indiana rally, Trump questioned whether Democratic contender Hillary Clinton has the "strength or energy" to make America "great" again — a line that has drawn allegations of sexism in the past.

His speech was one of several in Indiana over the weekend ahead of the state's critical primary.

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll showed Trump holding a 15-point lead over Ted Cruz in the potentially decisive May 3 primary race.