MSNBC Barely Covers Lee Zeldin Attack

Do you get your news from MSNBC? If you answered yes to that question, but were not awake at 5:24 a.m. Friday morning, you would have no idea that a New York congressman and candidate to be the next governor of the state was attacked and nearly stabbed at a campaign event.

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) was speaking at a Thursday rally when David Jakubonis, 43, walked onto the stage and grabbed him. He appeared to try and stab the congressman with a sharp object before he was pulled to the ground by others who rushed the stage.

Jakubonis was charged with second-degree assault but released hours after his arrest, according to the New York Post.

The New York Times explained in a report why the attacker was released — something Zeldin, who has been critical of New York bail laws, predicted would happen. Simply put, judges cannot set bail for nonviolent felony charges.

MSNBC has covered the attack just once since it broke news on Thursday afternoon.

Credit to MSNBC anchor Jonathan Lemire: The Way Too Early host did a one-minute report about the attack in the 5 a.m. hour, calling it “terrifying.”

Outside of that brief report, MSNBC’s prime time and daytime programming did not even mention, let alone cover, the attack. Instead, MSNBC has been airing obsessive coverage and analysis of Thursday’s hearing by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Newsflash: A physical attack on a member of Congress, Democrat or Republican, is newsworthy and deserves more than a minute-long report, let alone one aired in the wee-hours of the morning.

The fact that this particular attack on Zeldin was caught on camera makes it all the more delectable for video-obsessed cable news producers — and thereby even more egregious that MSNBC continues to ignore the story.

If a Democrat were attacked, MSNBC would undoubtedly air wall-to-wall coverage of the incident. That’s because an attack on a public official, particularly a member of Congress representing the very state from which MSNBC airs most of its programming, is a story that demands coverage.

I would ask here why MSNBC would mostly ignore an attack on a Republican congressman, but we all know the answer to that question. And the answer doesn’t reflect well on the network.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.