RALEIGH, N.C. — Donald J. Trump praised Saddam Hussein at a campaign rally on Tuesday evening, saying that he had done a good job of killing terrorists.

Speaking to a packed auditorium here, Mr. Trump first called Mr. Hussein, the former dictator of Iraq, a “really bad guy,” before offering him brief plaudits.

“But you know what he did well?” Mr. Trump said. “He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn’t read them the rights. They didn’t talk. They were terrorists. It was over.”

Moments later, he added that after Mr. Hussein’s country was destabilized by the 2003 invasion under President George W. Bush, it became a breeding ground for terrorists.