5 Democratic Congress Members Get Thanksgiving Bomb Threats
by Molly Bohannon · ForbesTopline
Four Democratic representatives and one senator from Connecticut received bomb threats on Thanksgiving Day—just one day after several Republican cabinet picks by President-elect Donald Trump received threats of their own—in a year marked by political violence.
Key Facts
A spokesperson for Sen. Chris Murphy told NBC News that his Hartford, Connecticut home was the target of a threat that seemed “to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures.”
Offices for Democratic Reps. Joe Courtney, Jahana Hayes, Jim Himes and John Larson also said they were the targets of bomb threats Thursday.
Courtney’s office said in a statement his house was targeted while he and his family were home, but there “was no evidence found of a bomb on their property.”
Hayes said in a statement she was notified early on Thursday that police “received a threatening email stating a pipe bomb had been placed in the mailbox at my home,” but that no bomb was discovered and the scene was cleared.
Himes said in a statement his home was targeted while he and his family were there, but that no evidence of a bomb was found, and Larson issued a similar statement saying no bomb was found after his house received a threat.
Crucial Quote
“There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility,” Himes said in his statement shared to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Tangent
Trump’s transition team said Wednesday that several of his cabinet nominees—including former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., received “violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them” like bomb threats and “swatting” attacks, or false reports designed to trigger a law enforcement response to a specific location. The FBI confirmed it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees.” Trump—who was the subject of two assassination attempts this year—did not weigh in on the attacks directly, but his spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in the statement: “With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us.”
Key Background
Political violence has increased in recent years, with a Reuters investigation finding last year was the worst since the 1970s amid the U.S.’s polarizing political climate. In early October, the Department of Homeland Security and FBI warned that domestic violent extremists “with election-related grievances” could target political candidates and officials ahead of and after the election. The U.S. warned extremists could use “physical attacks, threats of violence, swatting and doxing, mailing or otherwise delivering suspicious items, arson, and other means of property destruction” to target candidates. The bulletin from DHS and the FBI said domestic violence extremists had mobilized this year in reaction to social issues including immigration, LGBTQ+ issues and abortion rights. A late 2022 poll found that a majority of Americans believed political violence would only worsen in the U.S. in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, which led to seven deaths and more than 1,400 arrests. Since that attack, Reuters has tracked at least 300 cases of political violence as of Oct. 21, 51 of which were this year.