Rhode Island Rep. Seth Magaziner and U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse were among the latest targets in a disturbing string of bomb threats aimed at political officials and public figures.
Magaziner revealed the news in a statement, saying, “I was recently notified of a bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home. We are safe, and there was no evidence of a bomb on the property.” He thanked Providence police for their swift and “effective response.”
Whitehouse’s office confirmed a similar threat, one his spokesperson said resembled other menacing messages sent to prominent Democrats over Thanksgiving. “The senator is grateful for the quick all-clear response by the Newport Police,” the spokesperson said.
The threats come amid a broader wave of hoax emergency calls targeting politicians and President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team. At least five Connecticut Democratic lawmakers, along with 10 of Trump’s high-profile nominees, were reportedly victims of similar stunts.
Among those targeted were Trump’s incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, attorney general-designee Pam Bondi, and defense secretary-designee Pete Hegseth. Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Trump’s pick for EPA chief, said his family received a threat containing a “pro-Palestinian-themed message.”
The FBI is investigating the rash of bogus bomb threats and “swatting” incidents—phony emergency calls that could provoke a heavily armed police response. Though no injuries have been reported so far, such incidents carry significant risks.
President Biden, speaking to reporters Friday after his family’s Thanksgiving celebration in Nantucket, said federal authorities were actively addressing the issue. “We’re working that hard, the FBI,” Biden assured reporters after browsing a local bookstore.
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