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Journalism of Courage
Hours after a man in a rented Home Depot pick-up truck ploughed through a crowd in Manhattan in New York, killing eight people, President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed to step up the “already extreme vetting process” for entry into the country. He added that being politically correct is fine, but not for this (vetting). In a direct attack on the pressent US Visa policy which he claimed was introduced by Democratic party Senator Chuck Schumer, Trump said attacker had entered US throught a ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Program’ to enter the US, which ought to be replaced by a ”merit based system”.
Trump also took a swing at the Democratic party, which has not suppored the extreme vetting measure proposed by his government, saying “We are fighting hard for Merit Based immigration, no more Democrat Lottery Systems. We must get MUCH tougher (and smarter)”
At least eight people were killed and 11 others injured in the attack on Tuesday. The gunman, 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, was shot in the abdomen before being arrested.
“I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!” Trump tweeted.
Follow LIVE updates on the Manhattan terror attack here
Earlier in the day, Trump had expressed his condolences to those who suffered losses in the lone wolf style attack. In a series of tweets, he declared that the country should not allow the Islamic State terror group to return or enter the US after their defeat in the middle east (Syria) among other places. The President tweeted, “We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!”
In a statement released by the White House, the 45th US president said, “We offer our thanks to the first responders who stopped the suspect and rendered immediate aid to the victims of this cowardly attack. These brave men and women embody the true American spirit of resilience and courage. I will continue to follow developments closely.”
In pictures: 8 dead, 11 injured after truck ploughs through crowd in NYC
On Tuesday, the driver of a truck drove onto a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial in Lower Manhattan area. Mayor Bill de Blasio described the incident as a “cowardly act of terror”. In a statement to the press, he said, “This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians.” According to The Associated Press, a hand-written note in a foreign language was found inside the truck. The contents of the note are being investigated.
(With inputs from agencies)
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