Several people President-elect Donald Trump has picked to serve in his administration have received bomb threats.
According to Karoline Leavitt, who will serve as White House press secretary under Trump, “several” Trump nominees for his Cabinet have received bomb threats or been victims of “swatting.” Swatting is when someone making emergency calls targeting a person’s residence that are not true, per The Hill.
“In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted,” Leavitt said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.”
“President Trump and the Transition are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future,” she wrote. “With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us.”
The FBI has confirmed it knows 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.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who was picked to be the next ambassador to the United Nations, has been a target, a spokesperson for the congresswoman said. Stefanik’s home was the target of a bomb threat Wednesday.
“New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism,” Stefanik’s office posted on X. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7.”
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who withdrew from consideration for attorney general, also received a bomb threat to his home, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office in Florida said in a statement on Facebook Wednesday morning.
According to the sheriff’s office, a member of Gaetz’s family lives there, but Gaetz does not. No device was found, authorities said.
Lee Zeldin, who was nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency, said he was a victim of a pipe bomb threat Wednesday. The threat containing a “pro-Palestinian themed message.”
Zeldin, who is Jewish, and his family were not home at the time, he said.
Brooke Rollins, tapped to serve as secretary of agriculture, posted on X that there was a threat against her home in Texas.
Forth Worth police cleared the area and her family was able to return home, Rollins said.
President Joe Biden has been told about the threats, a White House spokesperson said. The administration has been in touch with federal law enforcement and Trump’s team to keep an eye on 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 spokesperson said.
