Many of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks had their lives threatened Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
Fox News first reported almost a dozen of Trump’s cabinet picks and appointees were threatened.
“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,” said incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a press release from the Trump-Vance transition team.
“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. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action,” she added.
“President Trump and the Transition are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future. With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us,” she concluded.
The office for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who is Trump’s pick to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, released a statement sharing she and her family were targeted with a bomb threat:
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. New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism. We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7. We want to share our best wishes to the Upstate NY community for a happy and safe Thanksgiving. We are especially grateful to our law enforcement officers and military families who are on duty over the holiday season.
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), the nominee to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), received a pipe bomb threat.
“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,” Zeldin wrote in a post on X. “We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops. We are thankful for the swift actions taken by local officers to keep our family, neighbors, and local community secure.”
Punchbowl News senior congressional correspondent Melanie Zanona reported that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who withdrew as the nominee for attorney general, was the subject of a pipe bomb threat.
“A bomb squad is responding to the Florida home of former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz after he received a pipe bomb threat, I’m told,” Zanona wrote in post on X.
“After the sheriff was made aware of the threat, a bomb-sniffing dog was brought over to sniff the mail box, but it was inconclusive. So that’s why the squad is now being brought in,” she added.
The threats, which came on the eve of Thanksgiving, follow two attempts on Trump’s life in recent months, including in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot in the ear.
“The violent left has been calling in bomb threats and swatting incoming members of the Trump Administration. Enough is enough with this type of deranged crap!” Donald Trump Jr. wrote in a post on X.
The story has been updated to include the threat received by former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY).
The story is developing.
