The bomb threat against the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s New York trial for financial fraud that caused a frenzy on the day of closing arguments turned out to be yet another high-profile “swatting” incident, police said.
Police responded to the swatting – which involves calling in a fake threat to prompt a heavy police response – at the home of the judge, Arthur Engoron, in Nassau county, near New York City, ahead of a dramatic day in court on Thursday.
It has been reported that a bomb threat was made in the call, although police would not confirm this to CNBC.
Special counsel Jack Smith and another judge, Tanya Chutkan, have both been the victims of swatting in recent weeks as they oversee other cases against Trump involving criminal charges. Both are involved in the federal criminal case over Trump’s attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
In court in Manhattan on Thursday, Trump said he was victim of a “persecution” and accused Engoron of having his “own agenda”. The former host of The Apprentice added: “This is a fraud on me.” At one point Engoron told Trump’s lawyer to control his client.
The judge has been persistently criticized by Trump online – in December he called Engoron “an ignorant judge” on his social media platform Truth Social – and the swatting incident followed other such threats directed at those involved in the numerous cases aimed at Trump.
Maine’s secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, has also been swatted, after her decision to remove Trump from the state’s ballot in this year’s election for his alleged insurrection. Experts have warned that a wave of threats of political violence, fueled by the rhetoric of Trump and his supporters, will only heighten in what is set to be a tense election year.
The outcome of the New York case will be closely watched by his supporters. Letitia James, the New York attorney general whom Trump has also fiercely criticized, wants Engoron to impose $370m in penalties and to bar Trump from doing business in his home state again.
