Reed Statement on Bringing New York City Terror Attack Perpetrator to Justice

SASC Ranking Member responds to President Trump’s disparaging remarks about American justice system &

says Americans deserve justice and are capable of bringing the attacker to justice in the United States

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today after President Trump condemned the United States criminal justice system, calling it “a joke,” and said he is open to sending the New York terror attack perpetrator to Guantanamo Bay:

“It is disturbing to hear the President of the United States talk with disdain about the United States criminal justice system. Our justice system under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is a model for the free world.

“The terror attack in New York was a heinous crime. The victims and the American people deserve justice and the perpetrator must pay dearly for this crime. We are capable of bringing the attacker to justice in the United States. Federal courts have been far more efficient at prosecuting terrorism cases than the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay.

“If we want to uphold our American values and punish the person responsible for this attack on American soil, he should be brought to trial in New York City before an American jury. Sending him to Guantanamo would be a real mistake that further alienates our allies and undermines public faith in our court system.”