Man with knifed attacks Congressman Lee Zeldin in New York

Man with knifed knuckles attacks Lee Zeldin on stage in New York

President Joe Biden condemned the attack on US Rep. Lee Zeldin after he was ambushed by a man wearing a veterans hat at a New York campaign rally on Thursday.

'I condemn the attack on Congressman Zeldin in the strongest terms,' Biden wrote in a statement. 'As I've said before violence has absolutely no place in our society or our politics.
He continued, 'I am especially grateful for the courage of those who immediately intervened, and that he is unharmed and was able to continue his speech. I also want to thank the law enforcement officers who quickly took action and are investigating this attack that defies our fundamental democratic values.'
Zeldin recalled the attack during a Friday press conference as his attacker walked free hours after being arrested.

'The first thing I saw was that he was wearing a hat that says he was a veteran and the way that I'm wired when I see somebody wearing a hat that is a veteran - my guard couldn't possibly be more dropped,' Zeldin said at a Friday press conference.

'But at the same exact time. I noticed he had a weapon in his hand and it had two holes where he had two fingers through the holes. It had two - a sharp dagger like edges on it - and he was telling me "you're done.'"

David Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport, confronted the Republican, who was giving a speech on bail reform, in Perinton, New York, a small town outside Rochester, as part of his 'United to Fire Hochul' campaign.

Jakubonis, thought to be an Iraq war veteran, was drunk when he launched his attack, according to WHEC-TV.

'When he lifted up his hand and he was lunging for my throat area, the first thought was to grab onto his wrist and just to hold it because there were so many people around that I would expect there to be help - quickly - and that's what happened,' Zeldin said.

'All security for all events for the remainder the campaign will be ramped up. That's something that started this morning.'

He later added, 'Absolutely we're going to continue the rallies.'