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.”
