Several Trump picks for top jobs targeted with bomb and 'swatting' threats
Several of President-elect Donald Trump's planned Cabinet nominees and administration appointees were subjected to bomb threats and "swatting" attacks.
Several of President-elect Donald Trump's planned Cabinet nominees and administration appointees were subjected to bomb threats and "swatting" attacks Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team said.
The nominees and appointees "were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them. These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting,’" transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Swatting is when a hoax call is made to police claiming a life-threatening situation is taking place. It is meant to draw SWAT teams to a location and can lead to deadly outcomes.
Three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the swatting incident involving multiple Trump allies told NBC News that these were not credible threats. No devices or physical threats were found and some of the threats may have come in over social media, the officials said. The threats did not involve U.S. Secret Service protectees such as Trump or Vice President-elect JD Vance.
The FBI said in a statement it “is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and 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.”
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