Trump transition team says several Cabinet picks targeted with bomb threats and swatting

By Kit Maher, Steve Contorno and Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — The Trump-Vance transition team said Wednesday that several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks and administration appointees “were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to 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 who were targeted,” Karoline Leavitt, who will serve as Trump’s press secretary, said in a statement. “President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.”

The FBI said in a statement that it is aware of “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees” and is working with other law enforcement. “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 statement added.

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

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

A federal law enforcement source said none of those targeted were protectees of the US Secret Service.

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

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the chair 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 Wednesday morning statement.

“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 U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism.”

The US Capitol Police said in a statement that it could not provide additional details. “Anytime 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 copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time,” the statement said.

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

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

And Brooke Rollins, Trump’s choice for Agriculture secretary, also posted 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 on X that her Oregon home was targeted with a pipe bomb threat Tuesday night, adding, “This kind of violence harms not just 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 too faced a similar threat.

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

CNN has reached out to US Secret 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.

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