Donald Trump Lauds Terrorism Sponsor Saddam Hussein's Ability to Kill Terrorists: 'So Good'

Donald Trump took to the campaign trail Tuesday to praise Saddam Hussein, speaking in favor of the executed Iraqi dictator who brutally suppressed dissent in his country through the use of wholesale slaughter and was viewed as one of the primary enemies of the United States for decades.

"Saddam Hussein was a bad guy. Right? He was a bad guy, really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights — they didn't talk, they were a terrorist, it was over," Trump said as many in his audience of about 2,000 in Raleigh, North Carolina laughed. "Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism. You want to be a terrorist, you go to Iraq. It's like Harvard. OK? So sad."

Trump has shown his admiration of Hussein on multiple occasions, including during a press conference in February. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee's praise for dictators has extended beyond Iraq, including in January when he said that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un should be given "credit" for the expediency with which he kills his political and military rivals. In October, Trump also said that the world would be "100 percent" better if authoritarians like Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi were still in power.

Hillary Clinton's campaign jumped on Trump's comments, noting how "dangerous" the Republican candidate would be in the White House.

"Trump yet again lauded Saddam Hussein as a great killer of terrorists, noting with approval that he never bothered to read anyone their rights," said Jake Sullivan, a Clinton campaign senior policy adviser. "In reality, Hussein's regime was a sponsor of terrorism — one that paid families of suicide bombers who attacked Israelis, among other crimes. Trump's cavalier compliments for brutal dictators, and the twisted lessons he seems to have learned from their history, again demonstrate how dangerous he would be as Commander-in-Chief and how unworthy he is of the office he seeks."

Even the leadership in the Republican party is struggling to deal with Trump's admiration for Hussein. In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday evening, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan attempted to distance himself from Trump's comments about Hussein by focusing on the deposed Iraqi dictator and avoiding Trump's words.

"He was one the 20th century’s most evil people," said Ryan, adding, "He was up there. He committed mass genocide against his own people using chemical weapons."

[Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons]