During a recent broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) reacted to the plea deals being revoked for several defendants in the 9/11 terror attacks that brought down the Twin Towers and killed thousands of innocent Americans. Meeks suggested that “some of the reactions, etc.” led to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stepping in to revoke it.
Host Kaitlan Collins initiated the discussion, asking, “[W]hat’s your reaction to hearing that Secretary Austin has revoked this plea deal?”Meeks replied, “Well, for me, I just think that he apparently didn’t know, by relieving the person that struck the deal, it did not — was not cleared by him, and I think that because of some of the reactions, etc., he’s decided to utilize his authority and step in and revoke it.
The Democratic representative continued, voicing that he was “surprised” by the move to revoke the plea deals. He further stated,”It’s something that I was surprised by. The State Department with reference to the Foreign Affairs Committee, not with the Armed Services where they have jurisdiction over DOD, but it was shocking to me also.”
When Collins asked if he supported the move from the secretary of defense, Meeks ultimately stated that Austin was the prerogative to make that call. The representative of New York further expounded upon his view on the death penalty, saying that he is opposed to it because “death is too easy” for criminals of this caliber who should remain alive to “suffer” for their actions.
“Well, look, I think that Secretary Austin has to review to make that decision for me things that I’m just fundamentally opposed to the death penalty. I’m not a death penalty guy. I think death is too easy for people that have committed the evil that they’ve committed. They should be suffering for the rest of their life. They should be able to stand and know that they will never see the light of daylight. They should not have any luxury and suffer,” he continued.
Meeks continued substantiating his view on the death penalty, “That’s why, too often, for me, individuals that commit these horrendous acts, they kill themselves, because that’s the easy way out. So I don’t know the specifics in regards to this case, but that’s my personal feeling for individuals and the death penalty generally, I think it’s too easy. That’s why people commit horrific acts and they end up killing themselves before someone else do, so that they don’t have to suffer from the rest of their lives.”
The representative also emphasized that he is not downplaying what transpired on 9/11, asserting, “I’m a New Yorker I will never, ever forget 911, people I knew died that day. And you know, I’m telling you my personal position, but I understand them also, and that does I do want them to have closure. I do want them to, you know, to the degree that they can. I know that it will not bring back their loved one? And that really concerns me, and my heart breaks out in that regard. But it’s hard. It will be hard for them for the rest of their life because of the evil acts of those men, and I think that they should be punished for it,” he said.
Watch the interview below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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