President Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he had ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement tougher vetting procedures in the wake of the deadly attack in New York City.
“I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!” Trump said.
His tweet came just hours after a driver plowed into a crowded bike lane in Manhattan, killing at least eight people. The suspect, 29-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, was shot by police and remains in critical condition, according to The New York Times.
Saipov is a native of Uzbekistan who came to the United States in 2010, CBS News reported.
{mosads}
The attacker reportedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” after exiting the vehicle.
In his previous tweets, Trump called the terrorist a “sick and deranged person” and said the U.S. “must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country.”