President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks and appointees – some of them controversial – have reportedly been targeted with bomb threats and swatting.
Among those targeted were his initial pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz; his choice for ambassador to the United Nations, Elise Stefanik; his nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin; and his Department of Labor pick, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the Trump transition team said on Wednesday.
‘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,’ stated Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
The FBI stated it was ‘aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees’ and is investigating the matter along with other law enforcement agencies.
Swatting is a prank intended to prompt law enforcement officials to respond to a hoax victim, according to the FBI. It has been used increasingly in recent years.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in Florida stated that it ‘received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area’ on Wednesday.
Gaetz was ‘NOT a resident’ at the address, where a family member lived, and no dangerous devices were ultimately uncovered, according to the office. One of Trump’s more controversial picks, Gaetz withdrew from consideration for attorney general amid sex trafficking allegations last week.
Former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, whom Trump selected to replace Gaetz, Trump’s chief of staff-to-be Susie Wiles, and other incoming administrative leaders may also have been targeted.
On Wednesday afternoon, Zeldin announced that he and his family were not home at the time they were targeted and were safe.
‘A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,’ he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
‘We are thankful for the swift actions taken by local officers to keep our family, neighbors, and local community secure.’
The attacks came as Trump signed an agreement with President Joe Biden to start the formal transition and allow his staff to work with the current White House staff on the process ahead of Inauguration Day on January 20.
Biden was briefed ‘continues to monitor the situation closely’, said White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma. He condemned ‘threats of political violence’.
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