Donald Trump Florida

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a news conference Saturday in West Palm Beach, Fla.

(Brynn Anderson | The Associated Press)

TRENTON -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump apparently isn't done advocating for the U.S. to fight terrorism with with methods such as waterboarding and more extreme torture tactics.

A day after announcing he would not order the American military to make any moves that would break international law, Trump said he would instead seek to "broaden" such laws to allow the U.S. to use methods that are currently banned.

"I will obey the laws, but I will try to get the laws extended," the billionaire businessman and former Atlantic City casino tycoon said during a news conference Saturday night. "I will try and get the laws broadened. Because it's very hard to be successful in beating someone when you're rules are very soft and their rules are unlimited."

Trump has repeatedly said he would take a hard-line stance against terrorism if elected. He has called for the U.S. military to kill the families of terrorists. He has also said America should reinstate the use of waterboarding, a controversial interrogation tactic that many say is a form of torture, and to use methods that go "beyond" waterboarding.

But some military and intelligence officials have said such acts are war crimes and that soldiers might have the right to disobey Trump's orders. Waterboarding was discontinued by President Obama's administration.

Amid the criticism, Trump's campaign released a statement Friday he will "use every legal power that I have to stop these terrorist enemies" but he will "not order a military officer to disobey the law."

On Saturday, though, Trump said the U.S. is "playing by a different set of rules" than terrorist groups like the Islamic State.

"We have laws and rules and regulations and all of these things," he said. "And they have nothing. They chop off people's heads. They drown people in massive steel cages."

Trump: "We're playing by a different set of rules than ISIS & others, especially in the Middle East." #SuperSaturdayhttps://t.co/FQD4c9d66z — Fox News (@FoxNews) March 6, 2016

During an interview that aired Sunday morning on CBS's "Face the Nation," Trump said America's enemies are "laughing at us right now" and that the U.S. doesn't allow waterboarding because the country has become "weak."

"I think that's why we're not beating ISIS," he said. "It's that mentality."

Host John Dickerson argued that the U.S. using waterboarding could lead other countries to use similar methods on American soldiers and "that's what separates us from the savages."

"No, I don't think so," Trump replied. "We have to beat the savages."

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.