The Republican candidate in the upcoming New York gubernatorial election, Lee Zeldin, was attacked during a campaign event outside Rochester on Thursday. The perpetrator was filmed jumping to the stage and assaulting Zeldin with a “sharp object,” according to eyewitnesses.
While initial reports suggested the perpetrator was armed with a knife and allegedly tried to stab the politician, photos shared on Twitter show that the weapon appeared to be brass knuckles with spikes.
“Fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him,” Zeldin said in a statement cited by AP, confirming that he did not suffer any serious injuries.
Multiple videos of the incident shared on Twitter show the attacker walking onto the stage and starting a scuffle with the congressman, before both of them fall to the ground as people around rush to help.
The attacker, whose identity has yet to be revealed, was apprehended and taken into custody, while the congressman resumed his speech.
“This could have really ended in a horrible way tonight and this is unacceptable,” state GOP chair Nick Langworthy said. He urged the incumbent Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, to provide official security for her opponent in the upcoming October 8 election.
Hochul condemned the attack “in the strongest terms possible,” adding that this type of violent behavior “has no place in New York.”