Trump warns Biden that ‘gloves are off’ in speech moments before spectating UFC fight

Former US president Donald Trump has issued an aggressive challenge to his White House rival Joe Biden, saying he won’t be “kind” anymore.

US presidential hopeful Donald Trump warned US President Joe Biden in a speech in Las Vegas over the weekend that the “gloves are off” — just hours before attending a UFC fight.

The 45th president repeatedly slammed his successor during a campaign speech at the city’s Calvary Chapel, where he spent about 40 minutes claiming the Biden administration’s policies have worsened immigration, the economy, crime and other topics.

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers remarks at a Nevada Republican recruiting event. Picture: AFP

“We have a corrupt, incompetent leader in Biden,” Trump told supporters in Nevada, which is considered a swing state in the upcoming US federal elections.

“I wouldn’t have said this three weeks ago. I wouldn’t have said it. I was actually very kind to him. I was very kind to him, but now we can’t be kind anymore because the gloves are off. The jar has been opened … He’s totally compromised.”

According to the New York Post, Trump hurled many accusations at the current president, including that Mr Biden has “taken millions of dollars from other countries like China,” which is perhaps a reference to his son Hunter Biden’s alleged business investments with the country, as well as Russia, Romania and Ukraine that has come under recent scrutiny.

Mr Biden has not been directly tied to his son’s multimillion-dollar dealings, though his name has been mentioned in various email exchanges during that time.

“He’s totally compromised,” Trump said. “In history, there’s never been never been a scandal like this.”

Migrant people try to get to the US through the Rio Grande as seen from Matamoros, state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Picture: AFP

Other accustations against Biden include how immigration on the United States’ south border is being handled by the administration, and the familiar topic of how the election was supposedly rigged in the Democrats’ favour, an allegation which has been widely debunked.

But perhaps the most surprising thing to come out of Trump’s speech was his complete about face regarding former presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

Trump announced he would start calling Hillary Clinton “Beautiful Hillary” because his former “crooked” moniker for his 2016 opponent is now being reserved for the incumbent president.

“I don’t like doing the same word for two people. We’re using the word crooked for Joe Biden because Joe Biden is the most crooked president in the history of our country by a factor of hundreds. He’s a crook,” the former president said.

Trump called Ron DeSantis “overrated”. Picture: AFP

Trump called Hillary Clinton “beautiful”. Picture: AFP

After publicly warning Mr Biden that the “gloves are off,” Trump went to a UFC match with conservative political lobbyist Roger Stone and controversial actor Mel Gibson.

Trump’s Las Vegas visit comes one day after campaigning in Iowa, where he labelled himself as the “most pro-farmer president that you’ve ever had”, and after slamming Republican rival

Ron DeSantis as “overrated”.

Originally published as Trump warns Biden that ‘gloves are off’ in speech moments before spectating UFC fight