Rep. Lee Zeldin, a former Republican from New York, stated that the presumed GOP nominee Donald Trump is in the running for the general election in his historically strong blue state of New York.
Zeldin claims that Trump is benefiting from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s handling of his criminal hush money case in New York City. According to the former congressman’s estimates, if Trump’s popularity in the city is high enough, he might win the state of New York.
Zeldin served as the representative for the 1st Congressional District of New York, which includes a large portion of the Hamptons and the North Shore of Long Island, from 2015 to 2023.
Zeldin unsuccessfully competed against Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) for governor, and Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) was elected to represent the district.
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“So when I ran in 2022, what I was saying was if I get less than 30% in New York City, I can’t win; if I get more than 35% in New York City, it becomes difficult to lose,” Zeldin stated on Thursday.
He claimed that while Trump is on trial, he might utilize this math to increase his support in New York City.
“President Trump can get inside of all these different communities over the course of the next several weeks and get his support up,” Zeldin stated. “The Asian community, the Hispanic community, the black community, and others are only moving towards him.”
In an attempt to win over black voters, Trump has attempted to leverage the numerous criminal cases against him.
According to a January poll, 83% of black voters think that Trump’s legal challenges are justified. According to the same survey, 12% of black voters would back Trump in a contest.
Furthermore, independent candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could have a significant impact in November; according to many analysts, RFK has a higher chance of depriving President Joe Biden of votes than Trump.
“One additional point to add is that RFK Jr. is on the ballot,” Zeldin stated. “When I ran in 2022, it was a head-to-head battle with Kathy Hochul. In 2024, with a Kennedy on the ballot as well, President Trump doesn’t even have to get to 30% in order to put New York state in play.”
