WATCH: That Time Lee Zeldin Agreed His Own Hometown ‘A Blood-Stained Killing Field’ — But Also A Great Place For Family Vacation

Congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin once agreed with then-President Donald Trump that his own home borough of Long Island was a “blood-stained killing field” — then touted it as a great place to visit with your family in the same breath.

Zeldin is now a longshot candidate to unseat Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul, although the polls have narrowed in recent weeks relative to Hochul’s earlier lead.

But a few years ago, Zeldin was just a Long Island boy torn between two lovers — Trump and crime fear-mongering and the hometown he represents. In perhaps the most comical example of competing priorities ever, Zeldin told MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes, in a July 29, 2017 appearance, that he agrees with Trump that Long Island is a “blood-stained killing field” — then hastily added it’s also a great place to bring the kids:

DONALD TRUMP: Listen. Since January 16. Think of this Ms.. 13 gang members have brutally murdered 17 beautiful young lives in this area on Long Island alone. They beat them with clubs, they slashed them with machetes, and they stabbed them with knives. They have transformed the peaceful parks and beautiful, quiet neighborhoods into blood stained, killing fields.

CHRIS HAYES: Given how horrific these crimes are and they really have been horrific and it has been concentrated geographically. But do you think about the place you live and the place that you represent? The adjoining district, as blood stained killing fields. Is that an accurate characterization of the place in which you reside?

REP. LEE ZELDIN: When these incidents take place there at that moment, absolutely. You know, these are…

I love Long Island. This is our home. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, especially this time of year. We have a lot of people come visit us. The weather’s beautiful. For those who are watching and want a good place to vacation.

But at that moment, when you’re, you know, outside of that bar and, you know, and there was a small skirmish inside that results in someone taking a knife and and basically ripping out, you know, I don’t want to say it know on the show, but we know what happened.

You know, one of the other incidents that happened and it’s not, and they don’t use guns in many cases because they don’t want to quick of a death and they want other people watching what happens.

So, you know, at that moment, it’s just happening too much. And it’s also human trafficking. It’s drug trafficking, gang rape. We talk about the murders, but we also we don’t talk about all the other stuff that’s going on as well.

CHRIS HAYES: All right. Lee Zeldin, I really appreciate you taking the time tonight. Thank you for sticking around.

REP. LEE ZELDIN: Thanks, Chris.

Watch above via MSNBC.

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