Several of President-elect Donald Trump’s planned Cabinet nominees and administration appointee were subjected to bomb threats and “swatting” attacks on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team said.
The nominees and appointees “were the targets of violent, un-American threats against their lives and those who live with them. These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting’,” transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Swatting occurs when a fake call is made to the police claiming that there is a life-threatening situation. It is intended to attract SWAT teams to a location and can lead to deadly consequences.
Three senior law enforcement officials who were briefed on the swatting incident involving multiple Trump allies told NBC News that these were not credible threats. No devices or physical threats were found and some threats may have come through social media, officials said. The threats did not involve U.S. Secret Service proteges, such as Trump or newly elected Vice President JD Vance.
The FBI said in a statement that it “is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming government nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners. We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement authorities.”
Trump’s statement did not identify exactly who or how many incoming officials were subjected to the hoax, but said “law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those targeted.”
“President Trump and the entire transition team are grateful for their swift action,” the statement said.
The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the threats and that the administration “is in contact with federal law enforcement and the President-elect’s team and continues to monitor the situation closely.” The federal law enforcement response, along with state and local authorities, remains ongoing. The President and the Administration unequivocally condemn the threat of political violence.”
Among those who said they were targeted are Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to be ambassador to the United Nations; former Rep. Lee Zeldin, who has been selected to lead the Environmental Protection Agency; Brooke Rollins, Trump’s pick for the Department of Agriculture; and former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, who withdrew his name from consideration last week.
Representative Elise Stefanik
Stefanik’s office said in a statement that Stefanik, RN.Y., her husband and their three-year-old son were driving home from Washington “when they were notified of a bomb threat in their residence.” New York State, County Police, and the U.S. Capitol Police immediately responded with the highest level of professionalism.”
Zeldin, a former Republican Party congressman in New York, said in a statement that a pipe bomb threat was sent to my home today against me and my family with a pro-Palestinian themed message. My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops.”
Rollins tweeted that “a threat was made against our home and family. Thanks to the quick efforts of the @fortworthpd, we were unharmed and returned home quickly.”
Gaetz, R-Fla., confirmed to NBC News that he was also among those targeted.
A bomb squad responded to the threat at his home in Florida. Initially, a bomb sniffing dog was brought to his home by the sheriff, but the investigation was inconclusive, leading to the bomb squad being called in.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said that “no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched, but with negative results.”
Gaetz said he was not home at the time, but a family member was. The details of the Gaetz threat were first reported by Punchbowl News.
Leavitt’s statement said the threats would not slow them down. “With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us,” she said.
The same tactics have been used in the past against some of those considered Trump’s opponents, including the judge who presided over his civil fraud trial in New York, the judge who presided over Trump’s federal election interference case and the prosecutor who brought that case, special counsel Jack Smith, as well as the district attorney’s offices in Georgia and New York that filed criminal cases against Trump.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
