Numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents have targeted nominees for Donald Trump’s cabinet and White House team, according to the FBI and Trump’s transition team. Swatting involves making hoax emergency calls to provoke armed police responses at victims’ homes.
The threats began Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday morning. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was among the first to report an incident.
Her office revealed she received a bomb threat against her family home while traveling with her husband and three-year-old son from Washington to New York for Thanksgiving.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump’s transition team, condemned the threats as “violent, un-American acts,” adding that law enforcement acted swiftly to ensure safety. She declined to name all the targeted individuals, and the FBI also withheld specific details.
New York police confirmed that Howard Lutnick, Trump’s commerce secretary nominee, was among those targeted. Lee Zeldin, nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, reported receiving a “pipe bomb threat” with a pro-Palestinian message sent to his home. Zeldin and his family were away at the time.
Brooke Rollins, Trump’s nominee for agriculture secretary, stated her family was threatened in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday morning. She praised local law enforcement for their quick response.
Florida Republican Matt Gaetz, who recently withdrew from consideration as U.S. attorney general, revealed that his Niceville home was also targeted by a bomb threat, though police found no explosives. Other nominees reportedly targeted include John Ratcliffe for CIA director and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.
While Trump himself was not directly targeted, the incidents highlight increasing risks faced by high-profile political figures in today’s polarized climate. Similar swatting hoaxes have recently targeted judges and prosecutors involved in Trump’s legal cases, adding to concerns about escalating threats in the political arena.
Authorities have not yet made arrests related to the incidents, but investigations remain ongoing.
