(NewsNation) — Several people who have been nominated for Cabinet positions in President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration have reportedly been targeted in “violent, unamerican” threats to their lives and those of their family members, Trump’s transition team said Wednesday.
The threats were reportedly made Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, a Trump transition team spokesperson said. The attacks ranged from bomb threats to “swatting.”
“President Trump and the Transition (team) are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future,” the spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, said in a statement. “With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us.”
In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted, Leavitt said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the FBI said it is aware of numerous bomb threats and “swatting incidents” involving incoming Trump nominees and appointees and said it is working with local law enforcement as part of its investigation.
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 FBI statement said.
Trump appointees targeted
In a social media post on Wednesday, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, R-New York, wrote that they received word Thursday morning that their New York residence was the target of a bomb threat. Stefanik, Trump’s pick for UN Ambassador, wrote that she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving from Washington to New York when they were informed of the threat.
She said that New York State Police and other law enforcement along with the U.S. Capitol Police, responded immediately “with the highest levels of professionalism.”
“We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7,” Stefanik wrote. “We want to share our best wishes to the Update NY community for a happy and safe Thanksgiving. We are especially grateful to our law enforcement officers and military families are are on duty over the holidays.”
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FILE – Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks during the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the fiscal year 2024 budget request of the Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) -
FILE – Brooke Rollins speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) -
FILE – Former President Donald Trump walks to make comments to members of the media after a jury convicted him of felony crimes for falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election, at Manhattan Criminal Court, May 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool, File)
The Okaloosa County, Florida Sheriff’s Office reported that it received notification of a bomb threat in a mailbox at a residence that was believed to be owned by former Congressman Matt Gaetz on Wednesday morning. A family member resides at the home, which is located in Niceville, but said that Gaetz is not a resident.
Local deputies said that the mailbox was cleared and no devices were located. Police also said they found nothing in the immediate area around the mailbox.
Brooke Rollins, who has been nominated as Trump’s agriculture secretary, wrote on social media that she learned that her home and family had been threatened on Wednesday morning. Rollins credited Fort Worth, Texas police for its swift action and said that no one was harmed.
Rollins joined the former president’s Economic Advisory Council in 2016 and currently serves as the president and CEO of America First Policy Institute, a think-tank for the former president manned by previous staffers.
“I want to express my deep gratitude to the law-enforcement professionals who did their utmost, in both speed and expertise, to protect us — as they protect our community every single day,” Rollins wrote.
A New York City residence belonging to Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, was also reported to be targeted, New York City Police said on Wednesday. Police said they responded to a 911 call just after 8 a.m. ET after someone told police that an email was sent to a third party indicating that “terroristic threats” were made to residence.
Suffolk County Police said Wednesday that they also responded to the home of former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-New York, after reports of a bomb threat were called in. Officials said specifically, reports indicated that a pipe bomb had been placed in the mailbox. Officers said that a check of the property did not turn up any devices.
Zeldin is Trump’s pick to head up the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin said that the threats his family received also included pro-Palestinian messaging.
U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, also says that her family was targeted by bomb threats, which she said she received on Tuesday night. Chavez-DeRemer is Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Labor Department. She posted on her X (formerly Twitter) account that she and her family were targeted by pipe bomb threats at her Oregon home.
She said that she and her family are safe thanks to the quick response of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. In a statement provided to local media, the Sheriff’s Department confirmed that they responded to the pipe bomb threat, but that the FBI is heading the investigation into the matter.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the White House said that President Joe Biden has been briefed about the reports of threats being made to Trump Cabinet appointees. The spokesperson said that the White House is in touch with federal law enforcement officials as well as Trump’s transition team and is continuing to closely monitor the situation.
Investigations into the threats remain ongoing by federal, state and local police agencies, the White House said.
“The President and the (Biden) administration unequivocally condemn threats of political violence,” the spokesperson said.
Americans approve of Trump’s Cabinet picks: poll
A recent CBS News/YouGov poll, meanwhile, shows that 59% of the people surveyed approve of the way Trump is handling his transition back to the White House.
For instance, 44% of those asked thought Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio would be a good choice for Secretary of State. There were 47% who felt that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a good choice to be Secretary for Health and Human Services, and 33% thought the same of Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence was thought of as a good choice by 36% of people.
Leavitt did not say how many Cabinet nominees had been targeted or which of those people nominated for spots in Trump’s administration reportedly received threats.
Trump’s former Cabinet member Mick Mulvaney explains, “Most of these folks have absolutely no security whatsoever.”