Lee Zeldin, President Trump’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, also confirmed that he had been targeted, saying a “pipe bomb threat” was sent to his home along with “pro-Palestinian-themed messages.”
“My family and I were not home at the time and were safe,” he said. “We are grateful for the quick action of local officials.”
Brooke Rollins, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, posted to
“We were safe and returned home quickly,” she wrote.
Scott Turner, Trump’s nominee for Housing Department, and Lori Chavez-Deremer, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor, also posted on social media that they had been targeted. They each pledged not to give in to threats.
The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden had been “briefed” about the threat.
“The White House is in contact with federal law enforcement and the president-elect’s team and continues to closely monitor the situation.”
The U.S. Capitol Police, which protects Congress, said in a statement that it was cooperating with federal law enforcement on the alleged “swatting” but would provide more details about the threat “to minimize the risk of copycats.”
Florida Republican Matt Gaetz, who recently withdrew from the race for U.S. attorney general, was also targeted.
The Okaloosa County, Florida Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a bomb threat targeted an address in the Town of Niceville.
Police said they emptied the home’s mailbox and found no devices, and a search of the area turned up nothing.
New York police told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that the New York home of Trump’s presidential candidate, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, had also received threats.
Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee to replace Gaetz, was also targeted, along with incoming White House chief of staff Suzy Wiles, according to CBS, which said it had identified at least nine targets as of Wednesday evening.
Fox News reported that John Ratcliffe, Trump’s nominee for CIA director, also received threats.
Similar deceptive tactics have recently been used against other high-profile politicians, including judges and prosecutors who oversaw the criminal case against Trump.
Last Christmas, politicians across the United States came under attack. Most were Republicans, but some Democrats were also targeted.
