Multiple nominees and appointees tapped to serve in President-elect Trump’s incoming administration were targeted with threats this week, with at least four officials reporting bomb threats at their homes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Karoline Leavitt, who will serve as White House press secretary after the inauguration, said “several” of Trump’s Cabinet picks were the subject of bomb threats and “swatting,” which refers to making false emergency calls targeting a person’s residence.
“In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted,” Leavitt said in a statement online. “President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.”
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“President Trump and the Transition are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future,” she continued. “With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us.”
The FBI later confirmed it was aware of “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees” and is “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,” the bureau said.
A spokesperson for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement that her home was targeted with a bomb threat.
“New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism,” Stefanik’s office posted on the social platform X. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7.”
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said in a statement that it received a bomb threat related to former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who withdrew from consideration for attorney general, at a home on Wednesday morning. A family member lives there, but Gaetz does not, the sheriff’s office said. The area was cleared and no devices were found.
Lee Zeldin, who was nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said in a statement Wednesday that his family’s home was targeted with a pipe bomb threat containing a “pro-Palestinian themed message.” Zeldin, who is Jewish, said he and his family were not home at the time.
And Brooke Rollins, Trump’s pick to serve as secretary of Agriculture, posted on social media that there was a threat against her home and family in Texas. They were able to return home after the area was cleared by Forth Worth police, she said.
A White House spokesperson told The Hill President Biden had been briefed on the incidents, and the administration was in touch with federal law enforcement and Trump’s team to monitor the situation.
“Federal law enforcement’s response, alongside state and local authorities, remains ongoing. The President and the Administration unequivocally condemn threats of political violence,” the White House spokesperson said.
Threats of political violence have become increasingly common in recent years, and Trump was the target of two assassination attempts earlier this year during the presidential campaign. He was grazed by a bullet during a shooting in Butler, Pa., in July — where he later returned to hold another campaign event event — and a September attempt near his Florida golf club that was thwarted before the suspect could fire any shots.
Politicians in both parties last year also reported they were the subject of “swatting” attempts on Christmas Day.
This story was first posted at 12:03 p.m. and last updated at 3:36 p.m.
