Exclusive — Rep. Lee Zeldin: ‘Pearl Harbor Tells Story of How Many Young Adults Answered the Call’ for ‘The Ultimate Battle of Good Vs Evil’

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), a Republican candidate for governor in New York, said on Tuesday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow that America’s response to Imperial Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor demonstrated the willingness of the nation’s youth to combat evil.

“It was a massive shock that put us in the middle of [World War II],” Zeldin said on the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. “Fortunately, we had these men and women all across this entire country who stepped up, who fought back. This was the start of what was a very successful campaign of the ultimate battle of good versus evil.”

He continued, “Evil struck that day, but at the end of the day, we triumphed.”

“We live in the greatest nation in the history of the world for many reasons, but it’s not because of how great our elected leaders are today,” he remarked. “It’s because of decades and generations of those who came before us, and Pearl Harbor tells that story of just how many young adults answered the call. Whether they were there or they were somewhere else around America, they stood up. They fought back. They saved the world.”

Zeldin noted Bob Dole’s recent death and the late senator’s military service in World War II — including being severely wounded and receiving two Purple Hearts — while reflecting on the Pearl Harbor attack.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for our nation’s greatest generation [and] what they sacrificed,” he remarked.

He added, “Bob Dole … sacrificed personally. He was physically harmed. He then dedicated the rest of his life to fighting for disabled Americans, especially and including disabled veterans. There are many different ways you could define success in life, and for Bob Dole, he wasn’t defining success in certain material ways.”