Mr Trump made the remarks when asked if he supported more profiling of Muslims in the US, in the context of last week's shooting at an Orlando gay club.
Profiling uses ethnicity, race and religion to determine whether a person has or is likely to commit crimes.
Critics say it could alienate Muslims.
In an interview with CBS, Mr Trump said other countries had "successfully" adopted the measure.
"I hate the concept of profiling but we have to start using common sense," he said.
