President Joe Biden announced Friday that his administration is collaborating with the FBI to address a series of swatting incidents and bomb threats targeting lawmakers and some of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees.
Rep. Seth Magaziner, a Democratic lawmaker from Rhode Island, reported being targeted by a bomb threat at his home on Friday, a day after six Democratic lawmakers from Connecticut experienced similar threats over the Thanksgiving holiday. In all cases, law enforcement found no evidence of explosive devices, according to the lawmakers.
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, and Lee Zeldin, his choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, were also victims of bomb threats and swatting attempts earlier in the week. Swatting, a tactic involving false reports to police designed to provoke a heavily armed response, is increasingly being used to intimidate public figures, experts say.
“House Democrats will not be deterred or intimidated from serving the people by violent threats,” said Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries in a statement Friday.
The threats come during a tense political climate. In July, Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, and in September, a man was charged with attempted assassination after allegedly positioning himself with a rifle near Trump’s Florida golf course.
Biden, speaking to reporters in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he is spending the Thanksgiving holiday, condemned the threats and emphasized the importance of maintaining security and calm during the presidential transition. He also indicated plans to speak with Trump again in the coming days.
Also read: Connecticut Lawmakers Targeted by Thanksgiving Bomb Threats
