Former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin has condemned the increasing violence and anti-Republican rhetoric, linking it to the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin has expressed his outrage over the escalating violence and anti-GOP rhetoric, which he believes has spurred the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
In an interview with Fox News Digital at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Zeldin decried the verbal and physical attacks on Republicans over the years, which he said have intensified recently.
Zeldin Denounces Escalating Anti-GOP Rhetoric Ahead of Trump Assassination Attempt
"The rhetoric has gotten so bad between, yes, the bullseye comment, remember Dan Goldman making a comment about how President Trump needs to be eliminated," Zeldin said. "Bennie Thompson wants to take away Secret Service protection. One of [Thompson's] aides was just complaining that the shooter Saturday evening had missed President Trump. I'm tired of seeing Republicans attacked like this."
Zeldin pointed to President Biden's earlier comment about putting Trump in a "bullseye," which Biden later retracted as a "mistake." However, Zeldin argued that the anti-Trump rhetoric has been escalating long before the assassination attempt.
Zeldin Denounces Escalating Anti-GOP Rhetoric Ahead of Trump Assassination Attempt
"I saw it with Steve Scalise with the shooting a few years ago, the attack on Rand Paul, the targeting of Justice Kavanaugh, this very close, near-assassination of President Trump. Yes, we should settle our scores at the ballot box. I agree with that. It's a truth. It's something that everyone should preach and everyone should believe in," Zeldin said.
Zeldin accused Democrats of attempting to prevent Trump from taking office through means outside the ballot box. He cited the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith to investigate Trump, the presence of Georgia prosecutor Nathan Wade in the White House Counsel's Office, and the resignation of DOJ official Matthew Colangelo to work on Trump's Manhattan criminal case as examples.
Zeldin Denounces Escalating Anti-GOP Rhetoric Ahead of Trump Assassination Attempt
"That was all nine days after President Biden said that we would have to pursue ways outside of the ballot box to take down President Trump," Zeldin said. "I'm not going to just sign up for the fact it's all just a coincidence."
Zeldin emphasized that everyday Americans can recognize the problem and urged a focus on settling political differences at the ballot box.
Zeldin Denounces Escalating Anti-GOP Rhetoric Ahead of Trump Assassination Attempt
"Every normal, commonsense, average everyday American is able to see through it. Let's truly focus on settling the score at the ballot box. Let's not have to focus on crazy criminal cases and trying to bankrupt the president and all these other attempts that threaten safety."
