Rep. Lee Zeldin Monday spoke out against the spate of confrontations being faced by Republicans, commenting that threats of violence are no way to decide issues after a volunteer for his reelection was nearly hit by a car outside of his Long Island campaign headquarters.
"We settle our scores at the ballot box," the New York Republican told Fox News' "Fox & Friends."
"If you can't win by just bringing your argument, your thoughts, your passions and winning the debate and winning at a campaign, then you should lose."
On Friday, 75-year-old Long island resident Martin Astrof was charged with making a terroristic threat and reckless endangerment after allegedly saying he wanted to kill supporters of Zeldin and President Donald Trump and trying to back over Zeldin campaign worker Donato Panico, who was on "Fox & Friends" Monday with the congressman.
Panico told the program he was sitting in his car when the man came up and started "cursing like crazy."
"He is like, 'you should all be in cages and we'll put you and cages and take you guys out and shoot you,'" Panico said.
He added that he got out of the passenger side of his vehicle and told the man to put his hands up because he was afraid he had a gun. Eventually, Panico said, the man got in his car and almost hit him while he was driving away.
Zeldin praised Panico as one who has done "so much to help our veterans" and who cares about his country, but because he "supports President Trump, he supports me, he would have to fear for his life. It's ridiculous."
The "other side" talks about First Amendment rights, he continued, but Panico was also supporting his own.
"There is no First Amendment right where you are threatening to kill supporters of President Trump and myself," said Zeldin. "There is no First Amendment right to get in your vehicle and try run him over."
He noted that such attacks have escalated after Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., called on people to confront Trump administration members and supporters.
"The [Rep.] Steve Scalise shooting should have been a warning that it's time to calm down," said Zeldin. "Instead they have been escalating and Maxine Waters has been escalating it, and things are only getting worse."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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