Donald Trump has accused President Barack Obama of founding the Islamic State terror group.
Addressing supporters at a rally outside Fort Lauderdale in Florida on Wednesday, the Republican presidential nominee said: "In many respects, you know, they honour President Obama."
He then added: "He is the founder of ISIS."
Mr Trump repeated the claim in reference to the terrorist organisation, known as IS, three more times, before alleging the same of his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton.
He said "crooked Hillary Clinton" was actually the group's co-founder, an accusation he has made in the past.
Republicans have long blamed the Obama administration's foreign policy for the instability in the Middle East.
Earlier this year, Mr Trump breathed new life into the conspiracy theories about Mr Obama's birthplace - and refused to challenge a rally attendee's assertion that the President was a Muslim.
Conspiracists have claimed the President was born in Kenya, when in fact Mr Obama, a Christian, was born in Hawaii.
Mr Trump also hit out at Mrs Clinton on Wednesday for allowing Seddique Mateen, the father of the Orlando gay nightclub shooter, into her Monday rally in Florida.
IS-inspired Omar Mateen shot dead 49 people and injured 53 others at Pulse on 12 June.
"Of course he likes Hillary Clinton," Mr Trump said of the 29-year-old gunman's father.
Nick Merrill, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, said Mr Mateen was not invited as a guest and that officials were unaware of his presence until after the event.
"She disagrees with his views and disavows his support," he added.
Sitting behind Mr Trump at his own Florida rally was disgraced ex-congressman Mark Foley, who resigned in 2006 after allegations he sent sexually suggestive messages to congressional temps.
The latest allegation from the billionaire businessman against Mr Obama comes in a week where he has already courted controversy by suggesting "Second Amendment people" - gun supporters - could take up arms against Mrs Clinton to stop her.
Critics condemned his remarks as "dangerous" and "a very bad taste reference to political assassination".
Mr Trump attempted to clarify his remarks, later tweeting: "Media desperate to distract from Clinton's anti-2A stance. I said pro-2A citizens must organize and get out vote to save our Constitution!"
But Mrs Clinton, who is leading the race for the 8 November election, told supporters Mr Trump's comments showed he lacks the temperament to be commander-in-chief.
Meanwhile, TIME magazine's photo editor Andrew Katz on Thursday tweeted an image of the front cover of its upcoming edition, which features an illustration of Mr Trump, who it claims is in "meltdown".
The next issue will feature an article which alleges Republican Party boss Reince Priebus warned Mr Trump last week that internal polling showed he is on track to lose the election, and thus, party resources, unless he turns his campaign around. Mr Trump denied the exchange took place.
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