Trump says "a lot of justice" needs to be fixed, after "laughing stock" remarks
Fox News' Laura Ingraham gave President Trump a chance Thursday to clarify or walk back his comments earlier in the week, when he said the way the U.S. justice system works is a "laughing stock" and a "joke."
The president did not walk back his remarks.
On Wednesday, after the New York City terrorist attack that killed eight people and injured 12, Mr. Trump said the U.S. needs to get tougher in protecting the country and be less politically correct. Mr. Trump has called for the death penalty against Sayfullo Saipov, the 29-year-old suspect in the attack.
"We need quick justice and we need strong justice -- much quicker and much stronger than we have right now," Mr. Trump said Wednesday. "Because what we have right now is a joke and it's a laughing stock. And no wonder so much of this stuff takes place."
On Thursday, Ingraham gave Mr. Trump a chance to clarify his comments that the way the U.S. justice system operates is a "joke." Ingraham asked what he meant by that.
"Well when I look at immigration, I look at this whole thing coming in by lottery and then we can't do anything about it quickly, and I look at what's happening with justice when it comes to so many different topics, I really-" Mr. Trump said in the interview airing Thursday night.
"Criminal justice, you're talking about criminal justice?" Ingraham asked.
"A lot of justice," Mr. Trump responded. "This guy would be tied up forever in the court system. You look at some of the cases that are going on forever and you have them dead to rights. Nom the justice system has to go quicker and it has to be, really, stronger and fairer."
Mr. Trump has called for an end to the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, through which Saipov came to the U.S. from Uzbekistan in 2010.