Headline Roundup • November 28th, 2024
Trump Cabinet Picks Targeted With Bomb Threats and Swatting, FBI Says
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Several of President-elect Trump’s cabinet and administration nominees were targeted by bomb threats and swatting, according to the FBI and Trump transition team.
The Details: The threats reportedly occurred overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning. The FBI said it is working with local law enforcement officials to investigate the threats.
Officials Targeted: Ambassador to the United Nations nominee Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Agriculture Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins, Housing and Urban Development Secretary nominee Scott Turner, Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, Environmental Protection Agency nominee Lee Zeldin, and Labor Secretary nominee Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), former Attorney General nominee and congressman Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Housing and Urban Development Secretary-designate Scott Turner said they were targets.
Key Quotes: Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s nominee for press secretary, characterized the threats as “violent” and “unAmerican threats.” The FBI said, “We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”
How the Media Covered It: Media across the spectrum covered the events similarly as the news broke. Some authored pieces explaining what “swatting” is. The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) wrote, “‘Swatting’ refers to incidents in which false reports of serious crimes or dangerous situations are sent to police, prompting heavy law enforcement responses that could endanger people who are at those locations. These incidents have happened repeatedly in recent years, targeting schools and public officials across the political spectrum.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
Matt Rourke/AP
The FBI said Wednesday that “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents” had targeted people President-elect Donald Trump has selected for Cabinet roles and other positions in his incoming administration.
Trump’s transition team said that “several” of his picks for prominent positions had faced “threats to their lives and those who live with them” on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The transition team’s statement did not identify how many people appear to have been targeted or name them, and law enforcement officials have not said publicly whether they believe any of the threats were...
Several of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet and administration picks were targeted this week with actions including bomb threats and "swatting," a spokesperson for the transition team said on Wednesday.
The threats were made Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and law enforcement acted quickly to ensure the safety of those targeted, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Elise Stefanik, a Republican U.S. representative and Trump's choice to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman who is Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, both said...
The FBI said Wednesday that it was investigating bomb threats and “swatting” incidents against several of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees.
Agriculture Secretary-designate Brooke Rollins, U.S. Ambassador-designate Elise Stefanik, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator-designate Lee Zeldin, Labor Secretary-designate Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Housing and Urban Development Secretary-designate Scott Turner said they were targets.
The FBI said it would coordinate with local law enforcement agencies that responded to the initial threats.
