Multiple nominees and appointees set to serve in President-elect Trump's incoming administration were the targets of threats this week, a transition office spokeswoman said Wednesday, but it was unclear how many were affected.
Caroline Levitt, who will become White House press secretary in January, said that “swatting” refers to bomb threats and false emergency calls made by “several” of President Trump's cabinet nominees targeting private residences. He said that he was subject to.
“In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those targeted,” Levitt said in a statement. Online statement. “We are grateful to President Trump and the entire transition team for their swift action.”
“President Trump and the transition are focused on efforts to unite the country by ensuring a secure and prosperous future,” she continued. “Dangerous acts like threats and violence, like President Trump, will not deter us.”
Levitt did not say who was targeted or where the threats occurred, but said the threats occurred Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
A spokeswoman for Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York, who was nominated by President Trump to be ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement that her home was the target of a bomb threat.
“New York State, county law enforcement, and the U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest level of professionalism,” Stefanik's office said in a statement. Posted “We are incredibly grateful for the extraordinary dedication of our law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
Threats of political violence have become increasingly common in recent years, and Trump was the target of two assassination attempts during the presidential campaign earlier this year. He later returned to host an event following a shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, and an attempted robbery near a golf club in Florida in September, when the suspect was thwarted before he could open fire. .
Politicians from both parties also reported last year that the two parties were the subject of an attempted “knock-down” on Christmas Day.
