RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) — Republican Donald Trump is again praising former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's ruthlessness, saying he killed terrorists "so good."

Trump was speaking in North Carolina when he cited the former Iraqi leader.

"Saddam Hussein was a bad guy, right? ... But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good," Trump said. He added: "They didn't read 'em the rights .. They were a terrorist, it was over."

Trump has previously said the world would be "100 percent better" if dictators like Hussein and Libya's Moammar Gadhafi were still in power. Prior to the U.S. invasion, Iraq was listed by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Jake Sullivan, policy adviser for Hillary Clinton, said Trump's "praise for brutal strongmen seemingly knows no bounds."