US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called the Uzbek immigrant accused of killing eight people in a car ramming in New York an "animal" as he called for faster and tougher punishment of terror suspects.

"Today we mourn the horrifying terrorist attack in New York City, just blocks away from the site of the World Trade Center," he said ahead of a cabinet meeting.

"My administration is coordinating closely between federal and local officials to investigate the attack and to further investigate this animal who did the attacking."

Trump continued: "We also have to come up with punishment that's far quicker and far greater than the punishment these animals are getting right now.

"They'll go through court for years. At the end, who knows what happens. We need quick justice, and we need strong justice. Much quicker and much stronger than we have right now. Because what we have right now is a joke, and it's a laughing stock."

source: AFP