President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE on Wednesday referred to the U.S. justice system as a "joke" and a "laughing stock."

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, Trump mourned the lives lost in the attack Tuesday in New York.

He said the country needs to come up with "punishment that's far quicker and far greater than the punishment these animals are getting right now."

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"They'll go through court for years. At the end, they'll be — who knows what happens. We need quick justice and we need strong justice, much quicker and much stronger than we have right now," he said.

"Because what we have right now is a joke and it's a laughing stock and no wonder so much of this stuff takes place."

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders during the Wednesday press briefing, however, disputed a reporter's characterization that the president called the system of justice in this country a "joke."

"That's not what he said," she said.

"He said the process has people calling us a joke and calling us a laughing stock."

Sanders said Trump was pointing out his frustration at "how long this process takes, how costly this process is, and particularly for someone to be a known terrorist."

"That process should move faster," she said. "That's the point he's making and that's the frustration he has."

The comments come after eight people were killed and more injured after a driver drove a truck into a bicycle path in lower Manhattan.

The alleged attacker, Sayfullo Saipov, came to the United States from Uzbekistan. Media reports following the attack indicated he may have gained entry through the diversity visa program.

Trump also said Wednesday he will ask Congress to end that immigrant visa program.