The Republican candidate for governor of New York, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, was allegedly attacked at a gathering in upstate New York by a guy who appeared to have tried to knife the congressman. The individual was taken into custody and charged with attempted assault.
After the attack on Thursday, Zeldin released a statement that read, "I'm OK." Thankfully, I was able to grab his wrist and hold him off until other people could tackle him.
According to a representative for the Monroe County sheriff's office, David Jakubonis, 43, was detained after attempting to assault Zeldin and later charged with attempted assault in the second degree. He was let go without posting bail. It's unclear if Jakubonis has a lawyer who can represent him in speaking. A call was made to the phone supplied for Jakubonis in order to get a remark.
Zeldin, who is running against Democratic incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul in November, was speaking to a VFW post in the town of Perinton, which is located west of Rochester, when the incident took place.
The assailant ascended a low platform where the congressman addressed a number of listeners while being flanked by hay bales and American flags. The two can be seen tumbling to the ground as other people try to stop them in a video that was released on Twitter.
Zeldin's assailant warned him, "You're done," as the attacker swung his blade toward Zeldin's neck, according to deputy Brendan Hurley, a spokesperson for the sheriff.
Zeldin's running mate, former Deputy Inspector Alison Esposito of the New York Police Department, assisted in subduing the attacker, according to state GOP Chair Nick Langworthy.
Although Zeldin and Langworthy exchanged texts after the incident while the congressman was speaking to police, Langworthy admitted to The Associated Press that he didn't know anything about the attacker or his weapon.
He's doing nicely. He doesn't have any major wounds. Simply put, that scene is chaotic, according to Langworthy. Zeldin, he claimed, had "just a tiny scrape," but it wasn't anything that would be regarded as an injury.
On Friday, a Zeldin official stated that the candidate intended to keep making campaign events.
Hochul issued a statement in which she denounced the assault and expressed her relief that Congressman Zeldin had not been hurt and that the perpetrator had been apprehended.
Langworthy requested Hochul to provide Zeldin with a security team to keep him safe while campaigning.
It could have turned so much worse. It's outrageous that this could have ended so horribly tonight, he said.
Questions concerning supplying Zeldin with a security detail were directed to New York state police by Hochul's press secretary Avi Small.
As the Congressman for eastern Long Island and a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, Zeldin has been a steadfast supporter of former President Donald Trump. He was one of the Republicans who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election.
Although he has made battling crime the main focus of his campaign, Hochul will be difficult to defeat. To win the general election, he will need to convince Democrats as well as independent voters, who outnumber Republicans in the state.
Democrats are anticipated to highlight Zeldin's outspoken support of Trump throughout both his impeachment proceedings and opposition to the election results.
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