GETTY Donald Trump said he would bomb North Korea if he became president

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Am I ready to bomb this reactor? You're damned right Donald Trump

The brazen billionaire claimed in a book he would "bomb" North Korea's nuclear reactor and advocated attacks on its military bases. He wrote: "What would I do in North Korea? Fair question. It's easy to point out the problem, but what should be done to solve it? Am I ready to bomb this reactor? You're damned right."

GETTY Trump said he is not trigger-happy but would target Kim Jong-Un's military bases

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee added: "As an experienced negotiator, I can tell you that negotiation with these madmen will be fruitless once they have the ability to lob a nuclear missile into Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York. "I don't advocate thermonuclear war, but if negotiations fail, I advocate a surgical strike against these outlaws before they pose a real threat."

Donald Trump’s top tweets Mon, March 7, 2016 White House hopeful Donald Trump has sparked controversy on the campaign trail and social media. Here are his best tweets Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 22 Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Georgia World Congress Center

The outspoken presidential candidate said he is not trigger-happy but "as President I would be prepared to order a strike – using conventional weapons – against North Korean targets if it prevented nuclear blackmail or the nuclear destruction of the U.S. population". In the book, written in 2000, he added: "A surgical strike would not only put out the fire in North Korea, but it would also send a message around the world that the United States is going to eliminate any serious threat to its security."

GETTY Kim Jong-Un has recently become Supreme Leader of North Korea

It is unclear if the brash businessman still advocates strikes on the secretive state but has referred to the despot as a "madman" and a "maniac". But Trump has also praised the dictator for killing his rivals to stay in power.

GETTY Trump made the remarks in his book in 2000