President Donald Trump reiterated his criticism of a decision made by a US Appeals Court to overturn the death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the bomber of 2013 Boston Marathon, demanding that the federal government "must again seek death penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial".
Noting it was "ridiculous that this process is taking so long", Trump tweeted that "our Country cannot let the appellate decision stand".
"Rarely has anybody deserved the death penalty more than the Boston Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The court agreed that this “was one of the worst domestic terrorist attacks since the 9/11 atrocities”. Yet the appellate court tossed out the death sentence. So many lives lost and ruined. The Federal Government must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial. Our Country cannot let the appellate decision stand. Also, it is ridiculous that this process is taking so long!", according to a series of Trump tweets.
....and ruined. The Federal Government must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial. Our Country cannot let the appellate decision stand. Also, it is ridiculous that this process is taking so long!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2020
After a US Appeals Court announced on Friday that Tsarnaev's death penalty had been overturned and a new trial ordered to "preside over a new trial strictly limited to what penalty Dzhokhar should get on the death-eligible counts", Trump called the decision "ridiculous", tweeting that Tsarnaev was "an animal that killed so many people."
The 2013 Boston Marathon bombing claimed three lives and injured over 260 people. Dzhokhar and his brother Tamerlan were found guilty of the attack, and the latter was shot and killed by police. Dzhokhar arrested and sentenced to death in 2015.
