Thread: Bomb threats target Trump nominees, FBI says

Several members of Donald Trump's incoming United States administration have received threats including bomb alerts, the FBI said on Wednesday (Nov 27), with one nominee reporting a pipe bomb scare sent with a pro-Palestinian message.


The President-elect's picks for United Nations ambassador and head of the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as his former choice to be US attorney general, said they were among those who had received the threats.


"The FBI is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners," the agency said in a statement.


Swatting refers to the practice in which police are summoned urgently to someone's house under false pretences. Such hoax calls are common in the US and have seen numerous senior political figures targeted in recent years.


Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump's transition team, earlier said that several appointees and nominees "were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them".

Outgoing President Joe Biden "has been briefed" on the threats, the White House said.


"The White House is in touch with federal law enforcement and the President-elect's team, and continues to monitor the situation closely," a spokesperson said in a statement.


"The president and the administration unequivocally condemn threats of political violence."


Biden has vowed a smooth and peaceful presidential transition - in contrast to when Trump riled a mob that attacked the US Capitol in January 2021 with false claims of election fraud.


"PRO-PALESTINIAN"


Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist congresswoman tapped to be UN ambassador, said her residence in New York was targeted in a bomb threat.


She said in a statement that she, her husband, and her small son were driving home from Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday when they learned of the threat.


Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said his home was targeted with a pipe bomb threat sent with a "pro-Palestinian themed message".


The former congressman from New York said he and his family were not home at the time.

Matt Gaetz, who dropped out as Trump's pick to be attorney general after facing opposition over sexual misconduct allegations, reposted Zeldin's message on X and said: "Same".


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Scott Turner, the nomine for Housing Secretary and a retired NFL player, and Trump's pick for Labor Secretary, meanwhile also said they had also received bomb threats at their homes.


Fox News Digital quoted unidentified sources saying that John Ratcliffe, Trump's nominee to head the CIA, and Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary pick, were also targeted.


Ahead of his return to the House in January, Trump has already swiftly assembled a cabinet of loyalists, including several criticised for a severe lack of experience.


The Republican, who appears set to avoid trial on criminal prosecutions related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss, was wounded in the ear in July in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally. The shooter was killed in a counter-fire.


In September, authorities arrested another man accused of planning to shoot at Trump while he played golf at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida.


Leavitt appeared to reference the previous incidents, saying that "with President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us".

Bomb threats target Trump nominees, FBI says - CNA

Does swatting happen in the UK? I can't recall reading about it happening there.

Originally Posted by 39TG

Does swatting happen in the UK? I can't recall reading about it happening there.

Yes! Usually with rolled up newspaper

Democrat Senator and Congress Members Targeted by Thanksgiving Bomb Threats


Four Connecticut Democratic Representatives Joe Courtney, Jahana Hayes, Jim Himes, and John Larson, along with Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, said on Thursday that their homes were targeted with bomb threats on Thanksgiving.


In a statement on social media, Himes said he was "notified of a bomb threat targeting my home where I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my family," adding that "no evidence of a bomb was found."


"Mary, Emma, Linley, and I extend our utmost gratitude to our local law enforcement officers for their immediate action to ensure our safety. There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility," he wrote in part in a statement.


A spokesperson for Courtney revealed that the congressman's home was the subject of a bomb threat while he and his family were present for the holiday as he condemned the threats.

"Joe and Audrey extend their utmost gratitude to the law enforcement officers, whose response should signal to perpetrators that these types of threats will not be tolerated," the spokesperson said.


Meanwhile, Hayes disclosed that the Wolcott Police Department notified her of a threatening email sent early Thursday morning. The email claimed a pipe bomb had been placed in her mailbox at around 7:45 a.m.


"I thank law enforcement for their swift attention to this matter," Hayes wrote in a statement on her website. "Their actions demonstrate there is no place in our country for political violence. On this Thanksgiving, I am grateful for my family and loved ones. I plan to spend the day with them and hope you all do the same. May you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving."


In addition, Larson, who received similar threats, noted the threats against his colleagues, saying in a statement that he was "grateful that my colleagues in the Connecticut Congressional Delegation, who received similar threats, are also safe."

No bombs or explosive materials were found at any of the homes. While authorities continue to investigate these threats, they have not said if the threats are connected.


Newsweek has reached out to the FBI via email for comment.


However, the representatives were not the only ones that received a bomb threat as the office of Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, confirmed to NBC News that he was a target as well.

Murphy was previously reported to have received a bomb threat by a CBS News local affiliate.




"On Thanksgiving, Senator Murphy's home in Hartford was the target of a bomb threat, which appears to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures," a spokesperson for the senator said in a statement, per NBC News.


Newsweek has reached out to Courtney, Hayes, Himes, Larson and Murphy via email for comment.

The Thanksgiving threats come after a spokesperson for President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said several of his Cabinet picks and appointees were the recent targets of "violent" threats.


"These attacks ranged from bomb threats to 'swatting,'" Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.


She continued: "In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action."


The Associated Press reported that the FBI said it is investigating "numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents" targeting Trump nominees.


Leavitt did not provide names of who was targeted, and did not provide details of the threats but said the incidents occurred on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.


"Last night and this morning, several of President Trump's Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Leavitt added.


According to a Wednesday statement posted on X, the home of Republican Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, Trump's nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, was targeted with a bomb threat.


"This morning, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, her husband, and their three year old son were driving home to Saratoga County from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence," a statement attributed to the congresswoman's office said in a post on her X account.


"Swatting" refers to when callers send emergency services rushing to the target's house by placing a false report of a crime or emergency.

Such incidents have increased in recent years, and multiple officials from both political parties reported being the victims of swatting during last year's holiday season.

Democrat Senator and Congress Members Targeted by Thanksgiving Bomb Threats - Newsweek