Presidential candidate Donald Trump is not averse to torture -- he said so himself. He firmly said that to combat terrorists who employ brutalities, the United States should also employ brutal tactics.
Even though he vowed on Friday that he would never, as the President, violate the laws of the land by asking the military to use torture, he repeatedly said in a rally and during a late-night news conference on Saturday that the country needs to step up and allow harsher tactics to fight terrorists. He said he would seek to expand current laws to include torture, which includes waterboarding and more.
Asked again about his stance on CBS's "Face the Nation," Trump said that the country could not play safe and soft anymore. He said that laws should be strengthened so that they can compete against ISIS savagery. He also rejected the arguments that engaging in torture will just make the United States stoop to the same level as the terrorist group.
"We have to play the game the way they're playing the game. You're not going to win if we're soft and they're, they have no rules," Trump said in a taped interview Saturday, which aired Sunday morning.
He added that it does not make sense to worry about what the terror groups would do to American captives in retaliation to the said torture. He said the captives are already being treated badly now. "Did somebody tell ISIS, 'Look, we're going to treat your guys well. Will you please do us a favor and treat our guys well?' They don't do that. We're not playing by -- we are playing by rules, but they have no rules. It's very hard to win when that's the case," Trump said.
He added that the United States ban on waterboarding is a sign of the country's weakness in the face of terror. "I think we've become very weak and ineffective. I think that's why we're not beating ISIS. It's that mentality," Trump added. He also said ISIS must already be undermining the country, thinking it weak.
Earlier in the race, his campaign ad stated that Trump would take out ISIS by beheading them and stealing their oil. The candidate said he liked the ad a lot. "I am very proud of this ad," the candidate said in a statement, per Vice. "I don't know if I need it, but I don't want to take any chances because if I win we are going to Make America Great Again."
Here is a video of Trump's recent press conference:
