Several of President-elect Donald Trump‘s Cabinet nominees were targeted by ‘violent’ threats to their homes, incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
Leavitt did not name which Trump picks were targeted but said the ‘attacks ranged from bomb threats to “swatting.”‘
‘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,’ she said in a statement, first posted to X.
‘In response, law enforcement acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action,’ she said.
The practice of ‘swatting’ is when individuals call the police and falsely report that a serious crime is happening, hoping to prompt a SWAT team response.
By early Wednesday afternoon four individuals who were targeted were identified by media outlets: former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, former Rep. Lee Zeldin, Rep. Elise Stefanik and Howard Lutnick.
Zeldin said in a statement that the pipe bomb threat he received came with a ‘pro-Palestinian themed message.’
Punchbowl News was first to report that Gaetz was a victim – with a pipe bomb threat called into his Florida home.
Several of President-elect Donald Trump ‘s Cabinet nominees were targeted by ‘violent’ threats to their homes, incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday
Gaetz had been nominated to serve as Trump’s attorney general before a brewing House Ethics Committee report forced him out.
After the sheriff was made aware of the threat, a bomb-sniffing dog was brought over to Gaetz’s home but the results of the sniff-test were inconclusive so a larger bomb squad was brought in.
The former congressman wasn’t home but a family member was.
A number of Trump’s picks are members of Congress and so would historically be home in their districts ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
That was the case for Stefanik, whose office said she was driving home to Saratoga County, New York with her husband and three-year-old son when authorities made her aware of a bomb theat to her residence.
‘New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism,’ the statement said. ‘We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7.’
Stefanik is Trump’s pick to be the ambassador to the U.N.
Trump’s pick for Commerce secretary, Lutnick, had his Upper East Side property in New York City targeted, local affiliate News 12 confirmed.
Among the Trump picks targeted by threats the day before Thanksgiving were the president-elect’s pick for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, former Rep. Lee Zeldin (left) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (right), picked to be ambassador to the United Nations
Zeldin had his Long Island, New York home targeted.
‘My family and I were not home at the time and are safe,’ Zeldin said. ‘We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops. We are thankful for the swift actions taken by local officers to keep our family, neighbors, and local community secure.’
There have been a number of high-profile swatting incidents in recent years, with the hoax calls targeting individuals including top Trump ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was overseeing the prosecution of the now-president elect.
The FBI confirmed the Trump transition team’s statement saying in a statement to CNN that the bureau was ‘aware of numerous bomb therats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees.’
The agency said it was working with 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 statement continued.
Trump, himself, has been the victim of two assassination attempts during his 2024 presidential campaign.
One in Butler, Pennsylvania during a rally on July 13 where a bullet from the gun of Thomas Matthew Crooks grazed his right ear.
Members of the U.S. Secret Service Counter Assault Team are photographed during former President Donald Trump’s trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico in late October as he campaigned for a second term
A second would-be assassin was arrested on September 15 near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach.
That man, 58-year-old Ryan Routh, compared himself to Crooks in a letter penned to a Politico reporter from federal prison, saying they were both ‘ready to die for freedom and democracy.’
‘President Trump and the Transition are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future. With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us,’ Leavitt said in a statement.
