Republican Lee Zeldin Defends Joining Forces With Steve Bannon

By Dave Goldiner November 28, 2017

Lee Zeldin (R-Long Island) has defended his decision to hold a Manhattan fundraiser headlined by far-right flamethrower Steve Bannon.

Zeldin, a two-term incumbent who is considered a top target of Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections, confirmed reports that he has joined forces with Bannon, the former White House adviser who has declared war on the Republican establishment.

Long Island Congressman explains why he welcomes the support and fundraising of Steve Bannon ¯_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/8WqT6bRHCj

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“He’s gotten a bad rap in a lot of respects,” Zeldin told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “I’ve heard him called a Nazi or a Nazi sympathizer.”

“There’s a lot about his background that people don’t know,” said Zeldin, who represents a moderate swing district that would appear to be unfriendly turf for Bannon’s scorched-earth populism. The Breitbart News boss has recently pushed hard for accused pedophile Roy Moore in his run for Senate from Alabama.

“He could do a better job of defending himself,” Zeldin said. “I agree with him in some respects and I might disagree with him in others.”

Zeldin, who is one of just two GOP Jewish members of Congress, pointed to Bannon’s strong support for Israel and his forecful opposition to the BDS movement as reasons to accept his active backing.

With President Trump’s popularity at a historic low, Bannon has said he plans to mount far right-wing challenges to a string of Republican lawmakers in 2018, amid signs Democrats could have a serious chance of retaking the House and Senate.

Dave Goldiner is the Forward’s director of digital media. Dave is a veteran journalist who has spent two decades working at newspapers in the United States and Africa. A native New Yorker, Goldiner wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered some of the biggest stories of our time, including the attacks of September 11, along with thousands of stories of hope and heartbreak. He also studied and worked in Southern Africa and has written for publications in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He holds masters degrees in journalism and public administration from Columbia University. Dave can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @davegoldiner

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