Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) march up Fifth Avenue during the 92nd Annual Veterans Day Parade in New York City. UPI /Monika Graff | License Photo

WASHINGTON, May 30 (UPI) -- Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg had harsh words for NSA leaker Edward Snowden during a taped interview with NBC News' David Gregory of Meet the Press.

"The guy should be prosecuted," Bloomberg said when asked if he thought Snowden a patriot or a traitor. "You cannot have individual people deciding what information should be released. We have a democratic process and my recollection is things like the NSA surveillance, that, well the process worked."


Bloomberg then went on to speak to the specific nature of NSA surveillance and how it differs from other divisive issues.

"You cannot have a public debate about it because intelligence just doesn't work that way. You can't compromise your ability to get information and the world's a very dangerous place."

The full interview will air on Sunday's edition of Meet the Press.