“Absolutely I feel it works,” Trump told an interviewer about his views on torture. “Have I spoken to people at the top levels and people that have seen it work? I haven’t seen it work. But I think it works. Have I spoken to people that feel strongly about it? Absolutely.”
Trump’s controversial position in support of torture including waterboarding in “black op” sites (secret prisons) goes back to the Roman Catholic Inquisition of the Middle Ages.
In another interview Mr. Trump said he would do “everything within the bounds of what you’re allowed to do legally,” including considering the use of waterboarding. He said that to deal with the Islamic State, the US needed to “fight fire with fire.” Trump said he would discuss the matter with incoming CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Republican Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war who Mr. Trump famously said wasn’t a “real” war hero because he got caught remarked in a tweet that “@POTUS can sign whatever executive orders he likes, but the law is the law – we’re not bringing back torture… I’m very confident it wouldn’t stand a day in court if they tried to restore that.”
Teresa May, Britain’s prime minster says the UK “does not condone torture or inhumane treatment and its close relationship with the United States allows frank exchanges on areas of disagreement.”
Sonva Sceats the Director of Policy at Freedom from Torture tweeted Trump and said torture is “morally repugnant.” She also said “for survivors of torture to hear the leader of the free world legitimize torture is absolutely devastating.”
Mr. Trump campaigned on expanding torture laws, including waterboarding.
Mr. McCain is wrong. Torture will come back in western countries. It’s only a matter of time. For “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12.
“The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infallibility. All that she has done in her persecution of those who reject her dogmas, she holds to be right; and would she not repeat the same acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let the restraints now imposed by secular governments be removed, and Rome be re-instated in her former power, and there would speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution.” Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, page 381.
“Protestants are losing the mark of distinction that distinguished them from the world, and they are lessening the distance between themselves and the Roman power. They have turned away their ears from hearing the truth; they have been unwilling to accept light which God shed upon their pathway, and are therefore going into darkness. They speak with contempt of the idea that there will be a revival of the past cruel persecution on the part of Romanists and those who affiliate with them. They do not recognize the fact that the word of God fully predicts such a revival, and will not concede that the people of God in the last days shall suffer persecution, although the Bible says, “The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Signs of the Times, February 19, 1894.