Washington, Aug 2 (IANS): Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has called his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton "the devil", taking name calling a step further, media reports said.

At a campaign rally in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Trump on Monday night told the crowd that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders "made a deal with the devil" when he agreed to back Clinton and help bring his supporters on board for her campaign, CBS News reported.

"He made a deal with the devil," Trump said, adding "She's the devil. He made a deal with the devil."

Trump went on to say Sanders and his supporters all know he made a "bad deal" when he endorsed Clinton last month.

Trump has linked Clinton to the devil before, saying in the past that Sanders "sold his soul to the devil" but this is the first time he has been so explicit in this attack, NBC News reported.

Such language adds to the barrage of other insults he levels at her regularly the most popular with his supporters being the moniker, "Crooked Hillary".

He did admit, however, to looking forward to meeting Clinton later this fall on the debate stage.

"I look so forward to the debate with Hillary, I look so forward," NBC News quoted the Manhattan billionaire as saying.

Last week, Trump was in the midst of criticism from Democrats and Republicans for his remarks about a US Muslim soldier's parents.

Former Republican candidate John McCain became the latest senior party membet to criticise Trump for his attack on the parents of US Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed by a car bomb in 2004 in Iraq, at the age of 27.

Trump created controversy by suggesting that Humayun Khan's mother Ghazala Khan had been prevented from speaking alongside her husband Khizr Khan at the Democratic convention last week.

The soldier's parents told the BBC it was time to stand up to Trump but he accused them of "viciously" attacking him.