In an extremely wide-ranging and at times surreal interview with Human Events, Donald Trump said he admired Saddam Hussein's terrorism policy.
"Whether you like Saddam Hussein or not, and I don't - he was a bad guy - but he used to shoot terrorists, he use to kill them. He didn't give them a trial like in this country...he used to shoot terrorists and kill them."
As Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein was accused of chemical weapon attacks against entire villages and towns, and he was eventually convicted on charges related to the killing of 148 Shi'ites and was sentenced to death by hanging. He was executed on December 30th, 2006.
On Afghanistan and U.S forces, Trump stressed, "I want to invest a lot of money into our military."
But exactly what he meant by that is pretty unclear, as he added, "We don't have to have our soldiers over there in the Middle East being blown up by land mines...it's just not going to happen. With me we're going to build the United States."
However he's apparently ok with sending naval forces into the Indian Ocean. When confronted with the Somali pirate situation, Trump insisted, "Give me one good admiral and a few ships and I will wipe them out so fast."
Where does the potential presidential candidate stand on the current administration?
"George Bush gave us Obama whether you like it or not. George Bush gave us Obama, without George Bush we don't have Obama. So I've never been a fan of George Bush."
Mr. Trump was then asked which Supreme Court Justice he most admires. He responded, "I know numerous of the Justices and I don't want to insult any of them to be honest with you by saying that I particularly admire one. There is one that I admire very much, but I don't want to insult anybody by discussing the one I most admire because I know a number of them." It would seem unlikely that any of the current Supreme Court Justices would be offended to learn that he or she had not been selected as Trump's favorite arbiter.
And in the wake of the Wisconsin law Governor Scott Walker signed on Friday, curtailing unions' power to bargain and collect union dues, Trump disclosed his allegiance to the guild.
"I grew up with unions. New York is largely union...I've had great relationships with unions and I've made good deals. I've made a lot of money, I mean, I've made billions of dollars and in many cases I've been dealing with unions. So really, collective bargaining doesn't bother me so much."
Donald Trump previously pondered a presidential bid in 1988 and again in 1999. As for 2012? The millionaire businessman promises a decision by early June.