The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed multiple threats, including bomb scares and swatting incidents, targeting members of former President Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
In a statement on Wednesday, the FBI acknowledged the ongoing threats and revealed efforts to work closely with law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of the affected individuals.
“The FBI is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners,” the agency said.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump’s transition team, described the threats as “violent, unAmerican” and said they endangered the lives of nominees and their families.
One of the incidents involved Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist and congresswoman tapped to serve as UN ambassador.
She revealed that her New York residence was the target of a bomb threat while she was traveling with her husband and young son for the Thanksgiving holiday.
In another alarming case, Lee Zeldin, Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, disclosed that his home was targeted with a pipe bomb threat accompanied by a “pro-Palestinian-themed message.”
Zeldin, a former congressman from New York, said his family was not at home during the incident.
Fox News Digital reported additional threats against other Trump appointees, including John Ratcliffe, the nominee for CIA director, and Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary.
Swatting, the practice of making false emergency calls to provoke a heavy police response, has been a growing concern in the United States. Senior political figures have increasingly become targets of such hoaxes, raising concerns about safety and security.
The threats come amid heightened political tensions as Trump prepares for his return to the White House in January, assembling a cabinet of loyalists despite criticism over their lack of experience.
Trump himself has faced life-threatening incidents. In July, he sustained an ear injury during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally where the shooter was killed by counter-fire.
In September, authorities arrested another individual accused of plotting to shoot Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.