Washington, November 2 (RHC)--U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter to condemn the suspect of the terrorist attack in lower Manhattan and called for the death penalty.
Sayfullo Saipov was charged Wednesday for the attack that killed 8 people and injured 12 others.
Saipov allegedly asked authorities to hang an Islamic State group flag in his hospital room, according to court documents, which Trump referenced in a tweet, concluding with "SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!" in all capital letters.
Trump´s tweet breaks with a long tradition of U.S. presidents refraining from making recommendations for ongoing legal proceedings, which most see as outside the president’s authority.
Although the state of New York penal code's maximum punishment is life imprisonment and does not include the death penalty, Saipov could be subjected to a federal trial.
With Trump recommending the death penalty, experts argue, prosecutors will have a much harder time moving forward with this proposal.
Trump also raised the idea of sending Saipov to the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison in the illegal US naval base in Cuban territory, which has been notorious for extra-judicial punishment, including torture.