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Donald Trump speaks at the Republican presidential debate sponsored by CNN, Salem Media Group and the Washington Times at the University of Miami on March 10, 2016, in Coral Gables, Fla. Trump calls for ground troops in Iraq, Syria

Donald Trump would deploy up to 30,000 American soldiers in the Middle East to defeat the Islamic State, he said at Thursday night’s debate.

Trump was answering a question about comments from General Lloyd Austin III, the head of U.S. Central Command who said more troops on the ground would be needed to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

“We really have no choice, we have to knock out ISIS,” Trump said. “I would listen to the generals, but I’m hearing numbers of 20,000-30,000.”

Trump typically rails against American military involvement around the world, but he was not alone in calling for ground troops in Iraq and Syria at the debate.

“We need to do whatever is necessary to utterly defeat ISIS,” Senator Ted Cruz said. “We need to put whatever ground power is needed.”

“You have to be in the air and you have to be on the ground,” said Ohio Gov. John Kasich.