Donald Trump threatened to punch a protester in the face after a man was escorted out of Trump's rally Monday night.

"I'd like to punch him in the face," Trump said, remarking that a man disrupting his rally was escorted out with a smile on his face. "He's smiling, having a good time." Trump also claimed the protester was "nasty as hell" and accused the man of trying to punch the security officers forcing him out of the rally

According to multiple South Point security personnel, the man did not throw any punches. Trump "was just over-exaggerating," said one security guard, who asked that his name not be used.

On the eve of what could be Mr. Trump's third consecutive victory among a fractured Republican presidential field, the protester - the third one to interrupt him at the event - really drew the candidate's ire. As a middle-aged man in a grey T-shirt was ejected by security Mr Trump lamented "We're not allowed to punch back anymore,"

The billionaire said he missed the "good old days," when the man would be treated differently. "You know what they used to do to a guy like that in a place like this?" Trump said. "They'd be carried out on a stretcher, folks."

Trump has faced criticism over his response to protesters before but on Monday night, he held nothing back, and the crowd of thousands met every one of his lines with whooping cheers.

After cheers from the crowd, Mr Trump then moved on to talking about waterboarding terrorists.The businessman said the press would portray him as a "mean guy" for that position.

"I'm just a guy who doesn't want to be pushed around by a bunch of animals," he said. "These are animals."

Mr Trump's campaign estimated the size of the crowd as 8,000 and claimed it was the biggest political rally to have ever taken place in Las Vegas.