Donald Trump’s Son Compares Waterboarding to Frat Parties

2 minute read

Donald Trump’s son defended his father’s plan to bring back waterboarding on Monday, comparing the practice to fraternity activities on college campuses.

“You see these terrorists that are flying planes into buildings, right?” Eric Trump said Monday night on Fox News. “You see our cities getting shot up in California. You see Paris getting shot up. And then somebody complains when, you know, a terrorist gets waterboarded, which quite frankly is no different than what happens on college campuses in frat houses every day.”

“You know, the man would keep this country safe. There’s no question about it,” he said.

Waterboarding became a topic of discussion during the Republican debate on Saturday. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called the practice “enhanced interrogation” but not torture, and he said he would not “bring it back in any sort of widespread use.” Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said he wouldn’t want to change current laws banning the use of waterboarding.

Donald Trump has repeatedly said he would bring back the practice.

“In the Middle East, we have people chopping the heads off Christians, we have people chopping the heads off many other people,” he said on Saturday. “Not since medieval times have people seen what’s going on. I would bring back waterboarding, and I’d bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.

 

More Must-Reads from TIME

Write to Katie Reilly at Katie.Reilly@time.com