by Julia Pierrepont III
LOS ANGELES, March 2 (Xinhua) -- A video went viral this week showing Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, his wife Kathy and their daughter were accosted by two angry men while dining at a local eatery in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In the video, a man ranted at the governor and his Nevada-born, Chinese-American wife, calling the governor a "new world order traitor," and threatening to "string you up by a lamp post."
Sisolak's office released a statement on Monday, saying the governor was "deeply disappointed in how this incident unfolded, particularly with the language used to talk about First Lady Kathy Sisolak's heritage."
"We can disagree about the issues, but the personal attacks and threats are unwarranted, unwelcome and unbecoming behavior for Nevadans," the statement said.
His wife said she was saddened by the encounter on Sunday when the couple left the restaurant.
Several Nevada-elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans, quickly expressed condemnation of the incident.
"We all should denounce this verbal attack and racist diatribe against the Governor and First Lady," Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford tweeted. "Real patriots don't act like this, and anyone perpetrating these actions should be held accountable."
Nevada State Senator Nicole Cannizzaro said Tuesday that "this type of menacing behavior is not legitimate political discourse."
"The people who accosted the Governor and First Lady should be held accountable, and the politicians who encourage this kind of rhetoric and behavior should firmly denounce it," Cannizzaro tweeted.
"This is a lesson to everyone that we've gone too far when full-time security is needed for the Governor and his wife," said Republican Assemblyman Tom Roberts on Twitter. "This kind of conduct is reprehensible and has no place in Nevada."
The incident comes at a time when threats against public officials of both parties have surged, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The case is under investigation, confirmed Nevada State Police.
The governor, at a Reading Week event in Las Vegas on Tuesday, said "there's an ongoing investigation that they're dealing with, and I'll let that play out before I make any further comments." ■