A New York man allegedly took out his frustrations with Donald Trump and his supporters by threatening to kill them, and almost running over them with his car, Fox News is reporting.
Authorities say that Martin Astrof, 75, drove to the Nesconset, New York campaign office of U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin, a Republican and Trump supporter. While there, he allegedly “verbally harassed” Zeldin and his workers, and then became increasingly agitated, to the point where he allegedly threatened to kill Trump supporters.
He then left the building, for reasons that aren’t clear, and while doing so, allegedly “drove his car in an aggressive manner,” almost hitting a campaign worker, identified by The New York Daily News as Donato Panico.
Astrof was later arrested outside his home shortly afterward and charged with making a terroristic threat and second-degree reckless endangerment.
In a tweet , Zeldin thanked Panico for his service.
“In the US, political scores are settled at the ballot box, not by trying to kill your political opponents. Donato Panico is a great American, supporter of @realDonaldTrump & one of my campaign vols. He shouldn’t have been targeted like this today for his passion & involvement.”
The New York Daily News notes that Panico is a former deli owner who helped provide food to first responders following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
https://twitter.com/Chopomatic/status/1015617432763936773
Astrof’s alleged behavior is the latest in an ever-growing list of politically-motivated incidents that have exemplified the discord over politics in the Trump administration.
This week, as previously reported by the Inquisitr , a teenager had his “Make America Great Again” hat torn off of his head by an irate fellow patron at a San Antonio fast food restaurant. Hunter Richard, 16, was eating with his friends at Whataburger when a man, later identified as Kimo Jimenez, allegedly began cursing at the lad.
“You ain’t supporting s**t n****r!… B***h a** m**********r!”
Jimenez then allegedly threw a drink at the teenager and ripped his had from his head, pulling some hairs out in the process, before leaving the restaurant with the boy’s hat. Jimenez was later charged with strong-armed robbery. As for the teenager, Donald Trump himself promised to replace the boy’s hat with an autographed one.
Similarly, a couple of weeks ago, according to this Inquisitr report, vandals in Lincoln, Nebraska attacked the state’s Republican headquarters, throwing bricks through the window and spray-painting the slogan “Abolish ICE” on the sidewalk.
As for Martin Astrof, he is set to be arraigned on Saturday.
