FBI says several of Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees targeted with 'violent' threats

WASHINGTON – Numerous Cabinet nominees of President-elect Donald Trump were targeted with violent threats in recent hours and law enforcement officials are responding, Trump’s transition team said on Wednesday.

The threats occurred on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and included bomb threats and swatting, Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Swatting refers to attacks where people falsely report emergencies or crimes in progress to police, sending them to locations where no emergency occurred.

“Law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted,” Leavitt said. “President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action."

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In response to USA TODAY's request for comment, an FBI official said, the bureau is actively investigating and "is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees.

"We are working with our 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."

When asked by USA TODAY, a senior official with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, did not comment on whether they have determined who is behind the calls.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who Trump tapped to be his ambassador to the United Nations, was among the nominees targeted with attacks. Stefanik and her family were driving home to New York for Thanksgiving when they were informed of the bomb threat, Stefanik's office said in a statement.

New York law enforcement officials and U.S. Capitol Police responded to the threat immediately, Stefanik's office said.

Former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, tapped by Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, also said he was a target.

"A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message," Zeldin said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops."

And so was Pete Hegseth, the Fox News personality and Trump's pick for one of the most high-profile posts, secretary of Defense.

On X, Hegseth said a police officer arrived at his home in the morning, "where our seven children were still sleeping," and notified him and his wife that authorities "had received a credible pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family."

A rise in swatting incidents during 2024 election

The FBI describes “swatting” as a prank designed to draw an emergency law enforcement response to a hoax victim, often creating a situation where a Special Weapons and Tactics team arrives ready for a possible violent encounter.

Federal cybersecurity officials warned of a significant increase in swatting incidents in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election and said numerous incidents had targeted election workers and polling places to disrupt the electoral process.

In May 2024, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint warning about the threat to elections, noting “multiple swatting incidents specifically targeting election workers” in late 2023 and early 2024. The frequency of the attacks increased dramatically in the weeks before the election and on Election Day, federal officials said in briefings and public postings.

“Both foreign and domestic actors use swatting as a method to harass or intimidate individuals and businesses, including U.S. government officials, faith-based institutions, schools, journalists, company executives, and celebrities,” the agencies said in the May 2024 warning, which provided detailed guidance on how election workers and law enforcement agencies could prevent and respond to swatting incidents.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Multiple Trump Cabinet nominees targeted with 'violent' threats