Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin just couldn’t catch a break Friday on the campaign trail when he found himself in the crosshairs of a so-called Flat Earther less than a day after escaping an attack by a rampaging Army veteran.
“They are lying to us. So NASA uses CGI animation. Are you aware of this? So the blue marble that everyone thinks is Earth is computer generated,” a man who identified himself as a U.S. Navy veteran told Zeldin at a news conference in Watertown in the North Country.
The Long Island congressman soon clarified the apparent crank on geographic facts first discovered by Copernicus during the Renaissance centuries ago.
“So personally, I strongly disagree. I believe the earth is round. And I’ve circled the Earth. I have seen it from the sky while traveling on a flight abroad, the Earth is apparently round. I mean, it’s 100 percent undeniable,” Zeldin responded alongside running mate Alison Esposito and former primary challenger Andrew Giuliani.
The exchange in Watertown came less than a day after Zeldin was attacked by a knife-wielding man while campaigning outside Rochester. Zeldin was unarmed by the alleged assailant, who attacked the candidate, saying, “You’re done,” and was quickly subdued and arrested, but then just as quickly released, sparking outrage.
Zeldin is running against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who condemned the attack soon after it happened, in the November gubernatorial election.
While not as serious as Thursday’s attack, being found out by a Flat Earther highlighted how many unexpected events continue to confront Zeldin.
Zeldin looked shocked as he answered the flatlander’s question.
“This is the longest day of my life,” Zeldin spokeswoman Katie Vincenz tweeted Friday.
His answer to the question that the Earth is supposed to be flat is in accordance with the unanimous opinion of scientists who have proved that the Earth is a sphere-shaped astronomical body that once a year revolves around a star called the Sun.
“It’s 100 percent indisputable,” said Zeldin, an Army veteran, that the Earth is round.
He then thanked the unidentified man for his service before moving on to another question from a reporter.
Celebrities such as basketball star Shaquille O’Neal have caused controversy by claiming that the Earth is flat, a belief that has spread at an increasing rate in recent years in the modern world, despite evidence to the contrary.
Beliefs that the Earth is flat have grown in recent years. Bettmann Archive
“It’s not even a conspiracy theory. The Earth is flat,” Nets star Kyrie Irving said in 2017 while still playing with the Cavaliers.
Irving, whose vaccination beliefs have also drawn criticism, later blamed his misplaced claim on YouTube’s “rabbit hole,” where videos with pseudoscientific claims about the Earth are distributed.
The Flat Earther’s appearance on the gubernatorial campaign trail a day after the attack on Zeldin had some social media users wondering Friday what could come in the months leading up to the Nov. 8 vote.
“This election season, man,” Newsday editorial board member Mark Ciusano tweeted.
Add Comment