Zeldin's Praise Of Trump Trending On Twitter After Impeachment

LONG ISLAND, NY — Rep. Lee Zeldin's praise of President Donald Trump was trending on Twitter Wednesday night, just hours after Trump was impeached for the second time.

A trending Tweet by political reporter Paul McLeod shared a quote by Zeldin: "Thank you to the president for his efforts to defeat MS-13 in my district." Zeldin is a Suffolk lawmaker who represents New York's first congressional district, including the parts of western Suffolk, the North Fork, and the Hamptons, where Trump has hosted a number of big-ticket fundraisers, and

At an immigration forum on gang violence Trump attended on Long Island in 2018, he said, of the deadly street gang he's called "animals," that its presence on Long Island and across the country is "a menace."

Trump said he was "moved" to be joined by the parents of Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas, who suffered "unthinkable heartbreak at the hands of" MS-13 gang members who killed their daughters.

He vowed to fight back against the deadly gangs and vowed to dedicate law enforcement efforts to eradicating violence.

At the forum, Trump thanked ICE, who he said is "rougher" than MS-13. "They're rougher, tougher and meaner. They throw these guys into these wagons, rolling jails, and you have people applauding. It's almost like a war and you're getting rid of someone that's occupying your nation."

He said he finds it unbelievable to think that in the streets where he "essentially" grew up, kids are afraid to go out.

Trump also lauded law enforcement. "What they go through, the restrictions put on them. They've got to be nice, can't be too tough, they've got to be gentle, can't touch them — they do an incredible job."

Trump's visit sparked controversy, with some saying Trump's "dehumanizing rhetoric is not welcome" in New York and others applauding his efforts to cripple the thugs that have terrorized families and transformed sleepy streets into what Trump called "blood-stained killing fields" across Long Island and the nation.

Zeldin's tenure has been marked by speculation about his reported loyalty to Trump. Donald Trump Jr. was a guest at a Zeldin fundraiser and Zeldin has greeted the president as he landed on the East End for fundraising events. Zeldin also was included in an immigration forum Trump held on Long Island that focused on eradicating gang violence.

On Wednesday, U.S. representatives from New York voted along party lines, except for one Republican who voted with Democrats, for impeaching Trump on a charge that he incited the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week. The House voted 232-197 in favor, making Trump the first president in United States history to be impeached twice.

The historic House vote took place a week after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a siege that resulted in five deaths — including the killing of a Capitol police officer. Multiple arrests have been made amid a sprawling FBI investigation. The impeachment comes a week before President-elect Joe Biden is to be inaugurated in a city on high alert amid ongoing threats of violence.

Zeldin, a longtime staunch Trump ally, voted against impeachment, arguing the attack at the Capitol was "pre-planned and it started while the president was speaking."