President Donald Trump, who is being sued for violating the Constitution with his foreign financial holdings, told ABC News that he believes that waterboarding "absolutely works." Trump stated that he is willing to do what is "legal" and that he is exploring the options that are available to him, including waterboarding. The President told ABC News that he has been advised by intelligence experts, including those at the "highest level" of intelligence, that waterboarding is effective and does "work."
Things worse than waterboarding
Trump did not stop at saying that he would utilize waterboarding of terrorists.
The President went so far as to state that he would utilize methods of torture that are "much worse than waterboarding," (ABC News, 1-25-17). Although Trump did not state exactly what those methods of torture would be, he did make it emphatically clear that they are horrific. Trump also did not state if the additional methods of torture of which he was thinking violate the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit "cruel and inhumane treatment of detainees," (Council on Foreign Relations, 9-20-2006).
CIA Director Pompeo would not use waterboarding
CIA Director Mike Pompeo, on the other hand, promised during his confirmation hearings that he would not utilize waterboarding. Pompeo also stated that he could not imagine that Trump, who then was President-elect, ever would ask him to utilize waterboarding as a means of interrogation.
Pompeo also promised during the hearings that he would be compliant with federal regulations pertaining to enhanced interrogation methods. Pompeo pointed out that the laws of which he was speaking also apply to the Department of Defense (DOD).
Black site prisons returning?
The Trump Administration also has confirmed that it is looking into re-opening black site prisons, which are detention centers where terrorism suspects are questioned and tortured.
The Obama Administration closed down the black site prisons, which were last used when George W. Bush was President. Although the re-opening of the black site prisons has not been finalized by the Trump Administration, it definitely is under consideration currently.
McCain lacks confidence in Trump
Meanwhile, veteran Senator and one-time Presidential candidate John McCain has indicated that he lacks total confidence in Trump.
McCain, who inherited his GOP mentor and late Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater's propensity towards "plain talk," explained that Trump's "contradictory comments" both during and after the campaign, caused his lack of total confidence in Trump. And the political dialogue, dissension and debate will continue. The show has just begun.
