McCain: If Trump tries to bring back waterboarding, he'll be in court in a 'New York minute'
AP
McCain, who himself survived torture while he was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, made the remarks at the Halifax International Security Forum in response to a question about Congress' power to rein in a president on issues such as waterboarding.
"I don't give a damn what the president of the United States wants to do, or anybody else wants to do - we will not waterboard, we will not torture," he said to applause.
"My friends, it doesn't work. If you inflict enough pain on somebody long enough, they're going to tell you whatever they think you want to hear to get it to stop."
During his campaign, Trump advocated for reinstating waterboarding and "enhanced interrogation techniques" as a means to question suspected terrorists. He even expressed a desire to use torture methods more severe than waterboarding.
"I would absolutely authorize something beyond waterboarding," Trump told ABC's George Stephanopoulos in February.
McCain said waterboarding and other torture methods are prohibited by federal law and the Geneva Convention, and argued that no judge in the country wouldn't view torture as a violation of those laws.
"My god, what does it say about America if we're going to inflict torture on people?" he said.
"It makes it hard for us to make the argument about the moral superiority of our government and our way of life."
View his remarks below:
- US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
- 2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- Nainital bucket list: 9 experiences you can't miss in 2024
- India Inc marks slowest quarterly revenue growth in January-March 2024: Crisil
- Nothing Phone (2a) India-exclusive Blue Edition launched starting at ₹19,999
- SC refuses to plea seeking postponement of CA exams scheduled in May
- 10 exciting weekend getaways from Delhi within 300 km in 2024
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market