GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin Attacked During NY Gubernatorial Campaign Event
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Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) attends a press conference on the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians on May 20 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images)
Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee in New York’s governor race, was attacked during a campaign event in the town of Perinton, southeast of Rochester, on Thursday night.
As Zeldin was giving a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a man got on stage holding something in his hand, according to News 8 WROC.
Spectrum News reporter Nick Reisman obtained a witness’ video of the moment which shows a man wearing a hat approaching Zeldin, and appears to grab him by the arms as other people attempt to intervene. Zeldin, the suspect and several others appear to fall on the stage during the tussle.
Here is video of the attack involving Rep. Zeldin from witness Cody Crippen pic.twitter.com/Ur1CfpkdsS
— Nick Reisman (@NickReisman) July 22, 2022
The attacker was disarmed and apprehended by members of the audience, according to WHEC-TV. The Monroe County Sheriff’s officers later detained the attacker, though charges have not yet been filed.
Joe Chenelly, the national executive director of AMVETS, told News 8 WROC that he took the suspect down by bear-hugging him. AMVETS, also known as American Veterans, is a veterans service organization.
The suspect was reportedly an “Iraq War veteran under the influence of alcohol.”
The Metropolitan Republican Club shared a photo that appears to show the weapon used during the incident.
A photo of the weapon the suspect used in Monroe County to attack Lee Zeldin earlier this evening. Appears to have holes for gripping purposes and long sharp point. #LeeZeldinpic.twitter.com/iNjxCjWtr4
— Metropolitan Republican Club (@metgopclub) July 22, 2022
In a statement condemning the violence, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was informed of the attack, and noted that she was “relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured.”
In his own statement, New York State Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy blamed the attack on Hochul, claiming that she “fanned the flames of hate by directing her supporters to his rally schedule.”
My team has informed me about the incident at Lee Zeldin's campaign event tonight. Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possible — it has no place in New York.
— Kathy Hochul (@KathyHochul) July 22, 2022
Zeldin has supported former President Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
He currently faces his own accusations of election fraud after the Gotham Gazette reported that he submitted invalid signatures in an attempt to get an additional line on the ballots for the general election.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
