An elderly man was filmed slapping a young Republican voter across the face outside a New Hampshire polling station on Tuesday. The altercation occurred as Turning Point Action, a political advocacy group, was set up at Woodland Heights School in Laconia.
The incident is now being investigated by Belknap County police, according to the county Republican Committee. Both the county Republican and Democratic committees have condemned the violence.
Video footage shows the man confronting an 18-year-old canvassing for Turning Point Action. The unidentified attacker, after an exchange of words, gave the teenager the middle finger before striking him and walking away. Turning Point Action has praised the teenager for remaining calm during the confrontation.
Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the incident on X, calling it "more despicable behavior from the left." The Belknap County Republican Committee released a statement condemning "all forms of violence both in and outside of the political process."
The Belknap County Democratic Committee also issued a statement condemning "political violence of any kind."
The incident took place as a competitive U.S. Senate race between Democrat Chris Pappas and Republican John Sununu was underway in New Hampshire. Earlier in the day, former NFL player Rob Gronkowski was seen posing for photos with voters at Bedford High School, encouraging turnout.