Torture Works': Trump Says He Would 'Absolutely' Go Further Than Waterboarding

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump made it clear in the wake of the deadly Brussels terror attacks where he stands on torturing suspected terrorists, saying in an interview Tuesday evening that he would "absolutely" go further than waterboarding.

CNN anchor Wolf Blizter pressed Trump on the issue of torture, informing the real estate mogul that Belgium authorities have said Paris attack mastermind Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested late last week, was sharing information without use of such methods.

Trump said Abdeslam "would talk a lot faster with the torture" and added that if he had been pressed through torture to say more, "You might not have had to blow up all these people dead, and all these people horribly wounded because he probably knew about it."

Donald Trump on waterboarding: "We have to change our laws" #Brussels https://t.co/herraNSRDF https://t.co/zev47WtgpN

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 22, 2016

When asked about the legality of waterboarding, Trump said the U.S. needs to change its laws because he would "absolutely" go beyond waterboarding. "I'd go further, I'd listen to the military people, but I'd go further. And by the way, torture works," he said.

When Blitzer told Trump that the U.S. military leaders "oppose torture," the GOP front-runner simply said, "I don't believe they do."

"I think they're told to say that politically," Trump said. "I think that they believe in it 100 percent. You talk to Gen. Patton from years ago, you talk to Gen. Douglas MacArther, I will guarantee it, these were real generals, and I guarantee, they would be laughing."

Donald Trump says he would "absolutely" go further than waterboarding https://t.co/herraNSRDF https://t.co/u3Efi1XdUs

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 22, 2016

The brash billionaire told the "Situation Room" host that the U.S. needs to reinstate waterboarding in order to fight the Islamic State "at least on an almost equal basis" because "we have laws we have to obey" when it comes to torture while those in the Middle East "have no laws whatsoever they have to obey."

When asked by Blitzer about Republican rival Ted Cruz's proposition for law enforcement to "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods" to guard against radicalization within the United States, Trump said he "would support that ... 100 percent."

—

Follow the author of this story on Twitter:

Follow @tregp