Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Sunday that the reputation of the United States would be damaged if Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is allowed to remain in power.

"My personal view is that once you're involved, you have to recognize that the prestige of the United States is at stake," he told ABC's Jake Tapper.

"If Gaddafi stays on, he will think he fought the mother of all battles -- against the United States," Rumsfeld continued. "It will be damaging to us just as our demeanor in Somalia was damaging, the situation in Lebanon was damaging and that will embolden others of his ilk."