President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming cabinet members and other political appointees have been targeted with bomb threats, a transition team spokeswoman revealed Wednesday.
“Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting,’” she noted. “In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. 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,” added Leavitt, who will serve as the next White House press secretary. “With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us.”
The FBI confirmed in a statement that it was aware of and responding to the threats with other 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.
While the transition team did not elaborate further about the threats, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trump’s pick for US ambassador to the United Nations, was the first appointee to publicly disclose having been targeted in the attacks.
The House Republican Conference chair was notified Wednesday morning that a bomb threat had been made to her home in New York, where she and her family were headed from Washington to celebrate Thanksgiving, her office said in a 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,” her office said. “New York State, county law enforcement, and US Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism.”
“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,” Stefanik reps added.
The threats on the president-elect’s circle are the first reported since the election ended on Nov. 5. His 2024 campaign was plagued with both foreign and domestic threats — including the two assassination attempts on Trump’s life.
The campaign was also targeted by Iranian hackers, who leaked internal documents to President Biden’s campaign ahead of his June 27 debate showdown against Trump.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hackers also purportedly passed along a dossier on Vice President-elect JD Vance to some US media outlets.