NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The U.N. human rights chief says President Donald Trump's support of torture is "amazing," calling the prospect of reviving torture in the United States "profoundly unsettling."
On Wednesday at Vanderbilt University Law School in Tennessee, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein called torture "repugnant" and "useless."
White House officials declined to respond and cited Trump's previous statements that he'd defer to Defense Secretary James Mattis, who has said he opposes torture.
Zeid said that embrace of torture often appears to stem from anger and fear. He says there's a manipulated fear from populists who talk about outsiders stealing jobs and committing crimes.
Zeid has been an outspoken critic of Trump and other populist leaders. Before the election, he said Trump would be "dangerous from an international point of view."
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