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A series of threats leading up to and following the Thanksgiving holiday targeted several prominent people in the Republican and Democratic parties, including cabinet nominees for president-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration and multiple Democratic lawmakers.
Among the Trump cabinet nominees targeted was Scott Turner, Trump’s nominee to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to reporting from multiple outlets and a statement from Turner.
A statement from Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswomen for the Trump-Vance transition team, detailed that the incidents ranged from bomb threats to “swatting,” a practice in which a bad actor attempts to have someone’s home raided by police by calling in a tip of an alleged threat, only to discover no such threat was ever present.
In a post on social media platform X, Turner detailed that he and his family were impacted by a bomb threat.
“On the eve of Thanksgiving, my home was targeted by a bomb threat, as were the homes of several of my colleagues,” Turner said. “I’m grateful for the swift and professional response from local law enforcement in ensuring everyone’s safety. Nothing will shake my resolve to serve in [President-elect Trump]’s administration and bring much-needed change to [HUD].”
Other targeted Trump cabinet picks, according to reporting at The Hill, include Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the nominee for ambassador to the United Nations; defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head nominee Lee Zeldin; Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer (R-Ore.), the nominee for labor secretary; and agriculture secretary pick Brooke Rollins.
Democratic lawmakers were also targets of bomb threats on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to reporting at NBC News. They include Sen. Chris Murphy and Reps. Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, John Larson and Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut; Rep. Seth Magazine and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island; and Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts.
The threats earned bipartisan rebukes, including from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). President Joe Biden said Friday that his administration is working with the FBI to address the threats, adding that he expects to speak with Trump at least once more ahead of next month’s inauguration.
