Trump Nominees Targeted by Bomb Threats, Swatting

Several of President-elect Trump's picks for top jobs in his administration were targeted Tuesday night and Wednesday morning by what transition team spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt says were "violent, un-American threats to their lives and those who live with them." Leavitt said the nominees were targeted by attacks ranging from bomb threats to "swatting," in which hoax emergency calls are made in order to direct SWAT teams or other law enforcement to a person's home, NBC News reports. Sources tell Fox News that almost a dozen nominees were targeted, including Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick for secretary of defense, and John Ratcliffe, Trump's nominee for CIA director. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats "dangerous and unhinged."

The office of Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's nominee for ambassador to the UN, said she was driving to New York's Saratoga County with her husband and their 3-year-old son when "they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence." Police said officers and K9 units swept the home and didn't find any explosives. Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick for EPA administrator, said in a post on X that a pipe bomb threat was "sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message." In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office in Florida's Okaloosa County said a bomb threat targeting Matt Gaetz's "supposed mailbox" was received Wednesday morning, but "former Congressman Gaetz is NOT a resident." The mailbox was cleared and no devices were located, the sheriff's office said.

Law enforcement sources tell the AP that others targeted include Susie Wiles, Trump's incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, Trump's pick for attorney general after Gaetz's withdrawal. In a statement, the FBI said it "is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners." Leavitt said law enforcement "acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action." Sources tell NBC News that none of the threats were deemed credible. (More swatting stories.)