Donald Trump has called for “a lot more than waterboarding” to gain intelligence from terrorists in the wake of Tuesday’s attacks in Brussels.
In an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie on “Today,” Trump was asked if he was “in the camp… of torture” to get information and he said, “Yes, I am. I am in that camp.” (RELATED: Suicide Bombings At Brussels Airport And Metro)
Lauer asked Trump, “What would you say would be appropriate in terms of what they can do to [Salah Abdeslam] at this moment to get any information they can about possible further attacks?” Abdeslam was arrested recently and was the mastermind of the November terrorist attacks in Paris. (RELATED: Mastermind Behind Paris Attacks Arrested In Brussels)
“Well, I would say they should be able to do whatever they have to do,” Trump said. “They have to get the information. And I would say they should be able to do whatever they have to do.”
Lauer interjected, asking Trump to “be specific.” The Republican presidential candidate replied, “Now they won’t do that because the laws are so liberal over there. They won’t do that. But they should be able to do whatever they have to do to get him to give the information.”
Later, Guthrie followed up asking Trump, “When you say do whatever they have to do, can you be specific? I mean, what do you mean by that?”
“Well, I’m not looking for breaking news on your show, but frankly the waterboarding, if it was up to me, and if we changed the laws — or have the laws, waterboarding would be fine,” Trump said.
Referring to terrorists, Trump suggested, “[W]e work within laws. They don’t work within laws. They have no laws. We work within laws. The waterboarding would be fine. And If they can expand the laws, I would do a lot more than waterboarding. You have to get the information from these people, and we have to be smart and we have to be tough. And we can’t be soft and weak, which is what we are right now.”
Challenging Trump’s suggestion, Guthrie said, “If you talk to experts who do these interrogations, you often find a division. Some people think that kind harsh interrogation technique works and will deliver you the information, and others say it doesn’t work. You’ll get false information. Are you in the camp that harsh interrogation–let’s use the word–torture, works in a case like this?”
“Yes, I am. I am in that camp. I don’t believe the other people. I am in that camp, absolutely,” Trump said, adding, “I am in the camp where you have to get the information, and you have to get it rapidly.”
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