Donald Trump repeatedly refused to say Thursday hight whether he believed former President George W. Bush lied about the Iraq War — explaining that "nobody really knows why we went into Iraq" when pressed by a voter at a CNN town hall, with followup from host Anderson Cooper.
"A lot of people agree with what I said," Trump said at the meeting in Columbia, South Carolina. "I'm not talking about lying. I'm not talking about not lying."
The voter, Orrin Smith of Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina, said he greatly respected Bush and was "stung" by Trump's accusations on the stump and at Saturday's Republican debate.
"Would you be willing to rethink that?" Smith asked.
"Bottom line: There were no weapons of mass destruction," Trump said. "They said there are weapons of mass destruction. I was against the war when it started."
That's when Cooper jumped in: "So, you think the president of the United States, George W. Bush, lied … ?"
"I'm not going to …" Trump began.
"I'm giving you another shot at it," Cooper interrupted.
"I'll tell you very simply: It may have been the worst decision going into Iraq," he responded. "It may have been the worst decision anybody has made, any president has made in the history of this country.
"That's how bad it is."
"You would not say again that George W. Bush lied?" Cooper later asked again.
"I don't know," Trump said. "I can't tell you. I'd have to look at the documents."
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