Lee Zeldin steps in to help President Donald Trump at Tulsa rally
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley). Credit: Morgan Campbell
President Donald Trump is set to tackle his first rally since March with a controversial event in Tulsa, OK on Saturday night, calling it his reelection campaign kickoff, and eastern Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin will be on hand to help the president put on a show.
“I was asked to come to the event by the president’s political campaign and I’m going to do it because I support the president’s reelection,” Zeldin said. He added that he can’t comment specifically on the Tulsa plans to protect the president and others and won’t really know what’s happening until he sees the scene on the ground. However, he said, the security measures that are supposed to be in place are “significant.”
Zeldin said he has been wearing a mask in public and when appropriate. He’ll have one with him at all times in Tulsa and plans to wear it whenever circumstances allow. As for Zeldin’s role in the rally that’s already seen attendees camping out and tailgating for days, Zeldin will have an active role in the rally but he’s keeping mum about specifics. He flew to Washington Friday and from there will head to Tulsa Friday evening and back home Saturday night.
Asked whether he thought the rally in Oklahoma, which this week is experiencing its highest coronavirus infection numbers, was safe and wise, Zeldin showed why he is such an effective surrogate for the president. “You have an election fast approaching in November, and while one of the two major-party candidates has a strategy planned of running a campaign from his basement, that’s not how President Trump is going to run his campaign. He’d much rather be campaigning in person, across the country, with his supporters.”
Lane Filler is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
