Nearly a Dozen Trump Appointees Targeted With Bomb Threats, Swattings Overnight

Several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet and other administration appointees were targeted Tuesday night and this morning with “violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in a press release Wednesday. According to Fox News, “nearly a dozen” Trump appointees were targeted.

“These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting,’ Leavitt said in the statement.

“In response, law enforcement 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. “With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us.”

“The violent left has been calling in bomb threats and swatting incoming members of the Trump Administration,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X. “Enough is enough with this type of deranged crap!”

The FBI said in a statement Wednesday morning that it is “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming Trump administration nominees and appointees,” and that they are working with their 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 stated.

The threats of violence follow two assassination attempts on the president-elect’s life.

On July 13, 2024, Trump narrowly avoided being assassinated during a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, turning his head at just the right time so the bullets only grazed his ear. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by law enforcement after hitting Trump and three rallygoers, one fatally.

The 78-year-old was rushed off the stage by the Secret Service, but not before he pumped his fist in the air for the stunned crowd and yelled “fight! fight! fight!”

Trump survived a second assassination attempt on September 15 at his International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel with a scope sticking out of the fence and “engaged” with the person, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, a Biden-Harris supporter and Democrat donor with an extensive criminal background. Routh fled and was later apprehended and charged with firearms violations in connection with the incident.

Later that month, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) revealed that a whistleblower in the Department of Homeland Security had told him there were five known “assassination teams”  in the United States pursuing Trump.

Gaetz told Just the News Editor in Chief John Solomon during an interview on the Human Events Daily television show that the whistleblower approached him shortly before the second assassination attempt on Trump’s life in West Palm Beach Florida.

He said U.S. officials were well aware that these assassination teams were targeting the former president, yet decreased his protective detail nonetheless.

Update:

The Office of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Trump’s pick for UN Ambassador, released the following 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. 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 Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), Trump’s nominee for the Environmental Protection Agency, released the following statement on X:

“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. 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.”

A bomb squad was reportedly sent to Matt Gaetz’s house Wednesday after the former Florida congressman received a pipe bomb threat.

According to News12 New York, a bomb threat was made against a New York City property owned by Howard Lutnick, President-elect Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary.

Fox News reported that Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, and John Ratcliffe, Trump’s choice for CIA Director were also among those  targeted.

“This morning, a police officer arrived at our home—where our seven children were still sleeping,” Hegseth posted on X late Wednesday afternoon. “The officer notified my wife and I that they had received a credible pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family. We are all safe and the threat has been cleared. We want to thank law enforcement for their professionalism and bravery.”

He added: “I will not be bullied or intimidated. Never. President Trump has called on me to serve—and that is what I intend to do.”