Republican Party officials from Staten Island strongly condemned the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, stating that the media “should be ashamed” for how they have reported on and targeted Trump over the past 10 years.
During a press briefing on Sunday, July 14th, officials called for a return to civility in American politics.
The attack on Trump occurred during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, where law enforcement officials killed the assailant after he fired a shot that grazed the former president’s ear and left one bystander dead.
Michael Tannousis, New York State Assemblyman and chairman of the Staten Island Republican Party, expressed deep concern over the erosion of civil discourse in America.
“My parents came here from a war-torn nation. I represent many immigrants that came here for the American dream. Many of them left war-torn nations. They left socialism. They left communism. They left places where when one party was unsuccessful at the ballot box, the next day they decided to settle the score with violence.”
He added, “And yesterday’s actions were more reminiscent of those specific nations around the world than they are of our nation, which is the greatest nation in the history of the world. Those types of actions have no place in our society.”
Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo addressed questions about the attacker’s alleged Republican Party registration, emphasizing that the individual’s actions were wrong regardless of political affiliation.
When a reporter asked about the shooter allegedly being a “registered Republican,” Pirozzolo responded forcefully:
“Okay. So you want to talk about the fact the guy may be a Republican, or at least registered in the Republican Party, which anybody in this country is free to do.”
He continued, criticizing the media’s approach: “Everybody on the planet knows that you have MSNBC, The New York Times, Rachel Maddow, The View, you have Maxine Waters. ‘Oh, let’s get in their faces.'”
Pirozzolo insisted on immediately condemning the attack: “What he did was wrong. He tried to assassinate a President of the United States, and you stand there and say, ‘Well, maybe I should wait. Maybe it’s okay?'”
He further admonished the media, stating: “Are you saying the fact that he was registered to the Republican Party absolves him of everything, absolves all of the media, of all of the coverage they’ve done for the last 10 years? Absolutely not. That is a pathetic question, and I think you guys should be ashamed.”
In an exclusive follow-up interview with New York Voice, Assemblyman Pirozzolo said, “As are most Americans, I am very happy that President Trump has survived this assassination attempt. It is amazing how divided our country has become. The media literally hopes and prays for President Trump to fail. What they don’t realize is that when one of us fails, we all fail. I strongly support President Trump as he moves forward and unites our country to be better than ever.”
Before becoming a lawmaker, Pirozzolo experienced hostility when a 12-foot T-shaped Trump support sign on his lawn was set on fire in 2016.
Joseph Borelli, Minority Leader of the City Council, stressed the importance of resolving political differences through democratic processes.
“What separates us from communist states, dictatorships, third world, banana republics is that we don’t murder our political opponents. We beat them at the ballot box,” Borelli stated.
He continued, “That doesn’t mean we don’t get angry. That doesn’t mean we don’t protest. That doesn’t mean we don’t fight hard. But we fight on soap boxes. We fight in ballot booths. Not with weapons.”
State Senator Andrew Lanza highlighted the need for all political candidates to feel safe during elections.
Lanza criticized the extreme politicization and demonization in the media, particularly the portrayal of Trump as a “threat to democracy,” which he believes contributed to the hostile atmosphere.
“We decide elections here through the ballot box, not with bullets, not with the weaponization of government, not with the weaponization of the courts,” Lanza said.
