Trump calls Americans tearing down monuments 'terrorists' and promises 'retribution'

• President Donald Trump described Americans tearing down and defacing monuments "vandals," "agitators" and even "terrorists" in a taped interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Thursday evening.
• The president also promised "retribution" for those who continue to go after monuments, which protesters have targeted for glorifying racism.
• "Every night we're going to get tougher and tougher, and at some point there is going to be retribution because there has to be," Trump told Hannity.
• "These people are vandals, they're agitators, but they're really, they're terrorists in a sense."

President Donald Trump described Americans as "terrorists" in a taped interview with Sean Hannity for Fox News Thursday evening.

Ahead of rolling out an executive order purported to increase punishment for those who deface and tear down monuments, Trump promised "retribution" for those involved.

—Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) June 25, 2020

"Every night we're going to get tougher and tougher, and at some point there is going to be retribution because there has to be," Trump told Hannity, according to White House reporters on the president's trip to Wisconsin.

"These people are vandals, they're agitators, but they're really, they're terrorists in a sense," he added.

Trump had previously called for 10-year prison sentences for anyone found to be vandalizing monuments.

Protesters across the country have targeted monuments for glorifying racism as well as the Confederacy.

The president's interview with Hannity is airing on Fox News during the 9 p.m. hour.