Donald Trump has again praised former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's ruthlessness, saying he killed terrorists "so good".
The Republican presidential candidate was speaking in North Carolina when he discussed the former Iraqi leader.
The billionaire tycoon said: "Saddam Hussein was a bad guy, right? But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good."
Mr Trump added: “They didn’t read ‘em the rights ... They were a terrorist, it was over.”
He has previously said the world would be "100 per cent better" if dictators like Hussein and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi were still in power.
Before the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq was listed by the US as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Jake Sullivan, policy adviser for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, said Mr Trump's "praise for brutal strongmen seemingly knows no bounds".
PA