Trump on Torture/ISIS: ‘You Have to Play the Game the Way They’re Playing’

‘I think our priorities are mixed up’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
DICKERSON: "Let moo ask you about your position on torture, when we talked last week you shade general Hayden was wrong then he said that military wouldn't follow you on the question of waterboarding and on the killing of terrorist families. In the debate you said if I say do it, they are going to do it. Talking about the military. On Friday you said I will not order our military to violate the laws."
TRUMP: "You never asked me 'built violating laws in all fairness we were talking about -- I would say this. We have an enemy in the middle East that is chopping off heads and massive drownings. They don't play by the laws, they're laughing at us right now. I would like to strengthen the laws so that we can better compete. It's very tough to beaten piece that don't have any -- don't have any restrictions, all right? We have these massive restrictions. Now I will abide by the law but I would like to have the law expanded. I would like --" 
DICKERSON: "How?"
TRUMP: " I'd like to -- I happen to think that when you're fighting an enemy that chops off heads, I happen to think this we should use something that is stronger than we have right now. Right now basically waterboarding is essentially not allowed as I understand it."
DICKERSON: "Ud would like it to be."
TRUMP: " I would certainly like it to be at minimum -- at minimum to allow that."
DICKERSON: "Why do you think we don't have waterboarding --"
TRUMP: "I think we have become very weak and ineffective that's why not we're in the beating ISIS."
DICKERSON: "You think people got rid of the law to be weak?"
TRUMP: " No. I think that we are weak. I think we're weak. We cannot beat eyes. We should beat ISIS very quickly. General at that time ton would have had them down. We are playing by a different set of rules. We are -- let me just put it differently. When ISIS people chop off the heads go back to their homes and they talk, and they hear we're talking about waterboarding like it's the worst thing they just drowned a hundred people and chopped off 50 heads, they must think we are a little bit on the weak side."
DICKERSON: "The reason that waterboarding was -- number of reasons but one was because worry was that if America does that then our soldiers, American hostages will be treated even worse that's the argument, what do you think that have?" 
TRUMP: "Killing ourselves when they capture them. They're doing that anyway. If that were the case, we won't do it you don't do it but we're not playing by those -- did somebody tell ISIS, we're going to treat your guys well would you please do us favor 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."
DICKERSON: "That would separate us from the savages."
TRUMP: We have to beat the savages."
DICKERSON: "There for throw all the rules out."
TRUMP: " We have beat the savages."
DICKERSON: "By being savages."
TRUMP: "You have to play the game the way they're waying the plane. You're not going to win if we are soft and they are -- they have no rules. "
DICKERSON: "How?"
TRUMP: "Do all that have within the laws, but I think we have to increase the laws because the laws are not working obviously or R all you have to do take look what is going on. And they're getting worse. They're chopping, chopping, chopping, we're worried about waterbording. I think our priorities are mixed up."

Video files
Full
Compact
Audio files
Full
Compact