A man attempted to stab congressman and gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin (R-NY) at a campaign event in Fairport, New York, on Thursday.
The attacker was quickly suppressed, and Zeldin is unharmed. Video obtained by the Washington Examiner shows the incident unfold.
A man climbed onstage, grabbed Zeldin in the middle of his campaign speech, and attempted to stab the Republican. The man appeared to yell “You’re done! You’re done!” as he accosted Zeldin.
A group of people rushed the stage and took the man down. Nearly 11 minutes after the attempted attack, Zeldin was back onstage and resumed the speech.
“So as I was saying,” Zeldin said as he resumed his remarks, garnering laughter from the crowd.
Eric Amidon, Zeldin’s campaign manager, said the man who tried to attack Zeldin onstage appeared to have brass knuckles with sharp spikes on them.
“He was taken down pretty quickly,” Amidon said of the attacker, adding that Zeldin finished his speech after the attack, which was “ironically” about crime and bail reform.
“He’s OK,” Amidon told the Washington Examiner of Zeldin’s condition. “Once it was all over and the guy was taken into custody, he went back up and finished his speech.”
Zeldin spokeswoman Katie Vincentz separately released a statement that said all members of the campaign team are safe and that “far more must be done” regarding safety in the Empire State.
“Far more must be done to make New York safe again. This is very much getting out of hand in this state. Unfortunately, Congressman Zeldin is just the latest New Yorker whose life has been affected by the out of control crime and violence in New York,” Vincentz said. “This needs to stop! Thankfully, we still have exceptional men and women in law enforcement answering the call to protect our streets.”
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Zeldin, an Army veteran, is seeking to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in November. He tweeted about the incident later Thursday night.
“Thank you to everyone who reached out following tonight’s attack in Fairport. Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evening’s rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him,” he said. “I’m ok, and [Alison Esposito, the New York Republican Party’s candidate for lieutenant governor], and all other attendees are safe. The attacker is in custody. Grateful for the attendees who stepped up quickly to assist and the law enforcement officers who quickly responded. I’m as resolute as ever to do my part to make NY safe again.”
I’m ok, and @EspositoforNY, and all other attendees are safe. The attacker is in custody. Grateful for the attendees who stepped up quickly to assist and the law enforcement officers who quickly responded. I’m as resolute as ever to do my part to make NY safe again.
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) July 22, 2022
Hochul condemned the attempted attack on Zeldin on Thursday.
“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,” Hochul said in a tweet.
