Bomb threats sent to Democrats on Thanksgiving were signed with ¡®MAGA,¡¯ says House leader
Democratic members of Congress from Connecticut received threats and ¡®swatting¡¯ attempts on Thanksgiving
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Your support makes all the difference.At least five Democratic members of Congress who were targeted with bomb threats and ¡°swatting¡± attempts on Thanksgiving received messages signed with ¡°MAGA,¡± according to the office of House Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
US Capitol Police and state and local police cleared the threats, which followed a series of similar incidents targeting several of Donald Trump¡¯s Cabinet nominees.
Bomb threats were reported on Thursday at the homes of Senator Chris Murphy as well as Reps. Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, John Larson and Jim Himes, the top-ranking Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, according to their offices. All represent the state of Connecticut.
¡°These incidents ranged from detailed threats of a pipe bomb placed in mailboxes to swatting, all signed with ¡®MAGA¡¯ at the conclusion of the message,¡± a spokesperson for Jeffries said in a statement on Friday, referencing Trump¡¯s ¡°Make America Great Again¡± acronym.
¡°America is a democracy,¡± the statement added. ¡°Threats of violence against elected officials are unacceptable, unconscionable and have no place in a civilized society. All perpetrators of political violence directed at any party must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.¡±
On Friday, Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island reported a bomb threat at his home. No evidence of a device was discovered, according to a statement from his office.
The office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also said the senator ¡°received a similar threat to the ones¡± made against other Democratic officials on Thanksgiving.
A spokesperson for Senator Murphy¡¯s office told The Independent that the threat against his home ¡°appears to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures.¡±
Police ¡°quickly responded and determined there was no real threat,¡± according to Murphy¡¯s office. Law enforcement agencies did not recover any bombs or devices at the other congressmembers¡¯ homes.
¡°House Democrats will not be deterred or intimidated from serving the people by violent threats,¡± according to the statement from Jeffries¡¯s office. ¡°We have been in close communication with the Sergeant at Arms office and it is imperative that Congress provide maximum protection for all Members and their families moving forward.¡±
A Capitol Police spokesperson declined to provide The Independent with additional details on the incidents ¡°to protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats.¡±
On Wednesday, several nominees for Trump¡¯s administration reported receiving similar threats, including Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Elise Stefanik and Lee Zeldin.
¡°President Trump and the Transition are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future,¡± campaign spokesperson and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. ¡°With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us.¡±
The FBI confirmed the incidents involving Trump¡¯s nominees. ¡°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 agency said in a statement.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats to Trump¡¯s incoming team ¡°dangerous and unhinged¡± and demanded President Joe Biden and Democratic leadership condemn the incidents.
Asked for his reaction to the threats, Biden told reporters staged in Nantucket on Friday that ¡°we¡¯re working that hard, the FBI.¡±