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The Trump-Vance transition team said Wednesday that several of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees and administration appointees were “the targets of violent and un-American threats against their lives and those in their household” on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. It has become,” he announced.
“These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘slamming’. In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those targeted,” Caroline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary, said in a statement. “We are grateful to President Trump and the entire transition team for their swift action.”
The FBI said in a statement that it is aware of “numerous bombings and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration candidates and appointees” and is working with other law enforcement agencies. “We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, we encourage the public to immediately report anything that appears suspicious to law enforcement,” the statement added.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident on Wednesday, and the White House press secretary told CNN that the president and his administration “unequivocally condemn the threat of political violence.”
“The President has been briefed. The White House has been in contact with federal law enforcement and the president-elect’s team and continues to closely monitor the situation. Federal law enforcement continues to respond, as do state and local authorities. “There are,” the spokesperson said.
Federal law enforcement officials said none of those targeted were protected by the U.S. Secret Intelligence Service.
Former FBI deputy director and CNN contributor Andrew McCabe said he was not surprised by the threats.
“This has become a very common aspect of life for people who are in high-profile or less controversial positions. It’s been going on for years,” McCabe said. he said in an interview Wednesday. “They probably know 90 percent of the time that these threats that come in are of no value and are of no use to them, but in the unlikely event that a real threat gets through. If so, we can’t risk not responding.”
Swatting is a criminal scam in which a person falsely reports a crime, such as a mass shooting or bomb threat, in order to get police to arrive at a specific location. In an era of increasingly partisan politics, these types of threats target a wide range of ideologies. For example, Special Counsel Jack Smith and Judge Tanya Chutkan, who oversaw the federal election-subversion case against President Trump, have been targets of such cases in the past.
A law enforcement official familiar with these cases and investigations told CNN that such swatting calls are very common and often target people who are in the news at a particular time. Officials said the incident was “pretty routine.”
New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who chairs the House Republican Conference and was nominated by President Trump to be ambassador to the United Nations, was notified of a bomb threat to her home, her office said in a statement Wednesday morning.
“This morning, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington to Saratoga County for Thanksgiving when they received a bomb threat against their home,” the statement said. . “New York State, county law enforcement, and the U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest level of professionalism.”
U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that it could not provide further details. “When a member of Congress becomes the victim of a ‘swatting’ incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners to protect ongoing investigations and minimize the risk of counterfeiting.” In order to keep the information confidential, we are unable to provide further details at this time.”
Lee Zeldin, President Trump’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, posted on X about a pipe bomb threat aimed at his home.
“Today, a pipe bomb threat was sent to my home and my family along with a message with a pro-Palestinian theme. My family and I were not home at the time, but we are safe.”
Brooke Rollins, President Trump’s pick for agriculture secretary, also posted about threats “made against our homes and families,” noting that her family was not harmed.
Lori Chavez Delemer, President Trump’s nominee for Labor Secretary, also shared on X that her Oregon home was the target of a pipe bomb threat on Tuesday night, saying, “This type of violence is not intended for the intended target.” It harms not only the community, but the entire community,” he added.
Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, said he was informed by police on Wednesday morning that his home had been the target of a similar pipe bomb threat. He wrote to X that he would not be “bullied or intimidated” by the incident.
Scott Turner, elected secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, said he too faces threats in X. Matt Gaetz, who recently withdrew from President Trump’s attorney general nomination, also said he had received threats.
John Ratcliffe, President Trump’s nominee to head the CIA, received a bomb threat to his home, sources said. Another person familiar with the matter said that Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s pick for secretary of commerce, was also the subject of threats.
CNN has reached out to the U.S. Secret Intelligence Service and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. A spokesperson for the transition team declined to provide further details.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
