'I'd like to punch him in the face': Donald Trump complains about protester's 'gentle' treatment

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Monday night that he'd like to punch a protester in the face and lamented that he wasn't in the "old days" during which such people would be "carried out on a stretcher."

He made the comments during a campaign rally in Las Vegas on the eve of the Republican caucuses in Nevada. Trump had mocked another protester earlier in the rally, but his rhetoric got more heated as the event wore on.

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Trump was going off about unfair trade practices as his speech was apparently disrupted by a protester, whom Trump described as violent.

"See, he's smiling? See, he's having a good time. Ah, I love the old days, you know?" Trump mused.

See more from the rally Monday night:

He added:

You know what I hate? There's a guy, totally disruptive, throwing punches. We're not allowed to punch back anymore. I love the old days. You know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They'd be carried out on a stretcher, folks. Ah, it's true.

The protester was escorted out of the venue, according to reporters at the event. Trump went on to complain about the "gentle" treatment his heckler was receiving by the event security.

"I love our police, and ... honestly, I hate to see that. Here's a guy, throwing punches, nasty as hell, screaming at everything else when we're talking," he said. "The guards are very gentle with him. He's walking out, like big high-fives, smiling, laughing," he added.

The billionaire said he wished he could get involved personally.

"I'd like to punch him in the face, I'll tell you," he said.

It's unclear what exactly this specific heckler was protesting, but one photo from the rally showed a person holding up a sign that said, "Veterans to Trump: End hate speech against Muslims":