Trump hails Xi Jinping's "ruling iron fist"

Donald Trump has praised the Chinese authoritarian leader Xi Jinping for running China with an "iron fist" in a bizarre campaign rally speech.

Speaking to thousands of supporters to promote two Republican candidates in Wilkes-Barre, northeastern Pennsylvania, former US President Trump said, unlike current President Joe Biden, other foreign leaders are at "the top of the game", Mirror reports.

In the rambling, nearly two-hour speech, Mr Trump did not spend much time promoting candidates Mehmet Oz and Douglas Mastriano.

Instead, he raged about the FBI, Justice Department and media while addressing last month’s raid on his Florida mansion and praising global dictators.

"These [leaders] are central casting and there's nobody that could play the role in Hollywood of President Xi of China. Nobody could play the role, because he is a fierce person.

"He [Xi] rules 1.5 billion people with an iron fist, yeah I'd say he's smart. Wouldn't you say he is smart?" he said to the crowd.

President Xi Jinping of China uses aggressive authoritarianism in the country and is criticised by many. He has created a shocking human rights record and is increasingly making the country an oppressive surveillance state.

He has also recently stoked fears of heightened tension in the area since Xi ordered its largest ever military exercises around Taiwan.

Trump once said on Fox News: "He [Xi] is a killer, but I had a great relationship with him.”

He continued at Pennsylvania: "So I am with President Xi and we get along very well... we really had a great relationship. I called him King and he said 'but I am not King' and I said, you are to me you are President for life, it's the same thing."