Trump’s transition team says several gubernatorial elections are being targeted with bomb threats and swatting

CNN
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The Trump-Vance transition team said Wednesday that several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet and administration appointees “were targeted with violent, un-American threats against their lives and those who live with them” Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

“These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting’. In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those affected,” Karoline Leavitt, who will serve as Trump’s press secretary, said in a statement. the entire Transition team is grateful for their swift action.”

The FBI said in a statement that it is aware of “numerous bomb threats and incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees” and is cooperating with other law enforcement agencies. “We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to the police,” the statement added.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the incidents on Wednesday, and a White House spokesman told CNN that the president and his administration “unequivocally condemn threats of political violence.”

“The President has been briefed. The White House is in contact with federal law enforcement and the President-elect’s team and continues to monitor the situation closely. The response of federal law enforcement, along with state and local authorities, remains ongoing,” the spokesman said.

A federal law enforcement source said none of those targeted were protégés of the U.S. Secret Service.

Swatting is a criminal hoax that involves falsely reporting a crime, such as a mass shooting or bomb threat, with the intent of getting the police to arrive at a specific location. In an era of highly charged partisan politics, these types of threats have targeted a wide range of ideologies. Special counsel Jack Smith, for example, and Judge Tanya Chutkan, who oversaw the federal election tampering case against Trump, have been targets of such incidents in the past.

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the chairwoman of the House GOP conference and Trump’s pick to be ambassador to the United Nations, was informed of a bomb threat to her residence, her office said in a statement Wednesday morning.

“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,” the statement said. “New York State, county law enforcement and the US Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest level of professionalism.”

US Capitol Police said in a statement that it could not provide further details. “Whenever a member of Congress is the victim of a ‘swatting’ incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners. To protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copycats, we cannot provide more details at this time time, the statement said.

Lee Zeldin, Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, wrote on X about a pipe bomb threat directed at his home.

“A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian message. My family and I were not home at the time and are safe,” he said.

And Brooke Rollins, Trump’s pick for agriculture secretary, also wrote about a threat “issued against our home and family,” noting that her family was unharmed.

Trump’s pick for Labor secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, also shared that her home in Oregon was hit by a pipe bomb threat Tuesday night, adding, “This kind of violence hurts not only the intended targets, but entire communities.”

Scott Turner, who was chosen to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, said on X that he also faced a similar threat.

And John Ratcliffe, Trump’s pick for CIA director, received a bomb threat at his home, according to a familiar source.

CNN has reached out to the US Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. A spokesman for the transition team declined to provide further details.

This story has been updated with additional information.