Donald Trump criticizes, praises Saddam Hussein in the same breath
Proving that even the typical churn of the news cycle can't keep up with this election, before journalists could even hit "publish" on their think-pieces about Tuesday's Hillary Clinton news, Donald Trump managed to steal back the spotlight.
Coming on the heels of both the FBI's press conference regarding Clinton's email case and the first appearance by President Barack Obama on the campaign trail, you might figure there was more than enough for Trump to talk about during his evening appearance in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Then again, this is 2016, and nothing goes as planned.
You May Also Like
While Trump certainly did pummel Clinton regarding the FBI announcement, it was his comments on Saddam Hussein that caused the most controversy.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Speaking on ISIS, Trump said of Hussein, "he was a bad guy, a really bad guy." So far, so good.
"But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good."
The riff on Hussein's upside comes just days after Trump found himself embroiled in controversy over a tweet that appeared to use the Star of David in an attack graphic against Hillary Clinton.
Many criticized the ad while Trump's team defended it, saying it was only a "sheriff's star" from Microsoft shapes. At least one publication, Mic, has since retraced it to a meme on a white nationalist message board.
Naturally, the idea of praise being given to one of the 20th century's most ruthless dictators caused a stir, and sent House Speaker Paul Ryan, once again, sprinting to distance himself from Trump's comments.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
And the internet did its thing, too.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics Donald Trump Elections
Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
