Claiming that the Islamic State is competing with his wealth, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he will "bomb the hell" out of the extremist group if elected to the White House in November 2016..
In an interview with Newsmax TV, the billionaire businessman said he will order airstrikes against the ISIS targeting its sources of oil, which he said is the main resource providing wealth to the jihadist group.
"They're building a hotel in Syria. ... They're wealthy. You know why they're wealthy? From the oil. I would absolutely cut off their source of wealth, which is the oil. I would bomb the hell out of them," Trump said.
The US presidential aspirant also said he will hunt down countries suspected to be providing financial aid to the ISIS, particularly Saudi Arabia.
"I would find out whoever gives donations. Those are the enemy. They're coming out of Saudi Arabia and other places," Trump, who gained popularity for starring in the reality TV show "The Apprentice," said.
Despite controversial statements such as these, Trump has been doing well in national and early primary polls.
In a national poll conducted by CNN, for instance, the celebrity hotelier placed second, getting the approval of 12 percent of GOP primary voters. He performed better compared to all other Republican candidates, except for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who received 19 percent.
Similarly, a Suffolk University survey done by Granite State Republicans released last week revealed that 11 percent of voters said they are inclined to support Trump, who once again ended up in second, next to Bush.
A Quinnipiac University survey meanwhile showed that Trump is also at second place in the crucial early caucus in the state of Iowa, tied with popular neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
The leading Republican candidate in the early Iowa caucus is Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who has yet to announce his candidacy.
