A sudden wave of pipe bombs targeting Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, other prominent Democrats and CNN was thwarted without physical harm, but an anxiety-filled day on Wednesday deepened political tensions and fears two weeks before national midterm elections.
None of the bombs detonated as law enforcement took them away for examination and disposal.
The first crude bomb to be discovered had been delivered Monday to the suburban New York compound of George Soros, a liberal billionaire and major contributor to Democratic causes. The FBI said an additional package was intended for former Attorney General Eric Holder, but that one ended up at a Florida office of Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose return address was on it.
Time Warner Center – where CNN’s New York offices are located – was just evacuated. The alarm went off as @jimsciutto and @PoppyHarlowCNN were on air reporting the packages sent to the Clintons and Obamas. @ShimonPro reporting it was over “a suspicious package.” pic.twitter.com/EYBsytil0o
— 💀andrew👻kaczynski🎃 (@KFILE) October 24, 2018
Later Wednesday, a package addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters with similar markings and characteristics to the other devices was intercepted at a Los Angeles mail facility.
The targets of the bombs were some of the figures most frequently criticized by President Donald Trump, who still assails Clinton at rallies while supporters chant “lock her up” — two years after he defeated her and she largely left the political scene. Trump accuses Soros of paying protesters and singles out cable news network CNN as he rails against the “fake news” media.
He took a softer tone at a rally in Wisconsin Wednesday night.
“Let’s get along,” he said. “By the way, do you see how nice I’m behaving tonight? Have you ever seen this?”
The attacks overtook other news in an already-tense political season that could reshape Congress and serve as a referendum on the first two years of Trump’s presidency. The actions, which caused panicked building evacuations and reports of additional explosives that later proved unfounded, are bound to add to fears that overheated rhetoric could lead to deadly violence as the parties engage in bitter fights over immigration, the Supreme Court and the treatment of women.
The White House condemned the attacks aimed at Democrats and other perceived foes of the administration.
“Acts or threats of political violence have no place in the United States,” Trump said. “This egregious conduct is abhorrent.”
Other Republican leaders said the same. But Democratic Senate and House leaders Chuck Schumer of New York and Nancy Pelosi of California said such words “ring hollow” when coming from Trump. They noted the president’s recent praise of a GOP congressman who body-slammed a reporter, among other Trump statements.
Law enforcement officials said all the packages were similar: manila envelopes with bubble-wrap interior bearing six stamps and the return address of Florida Rep. Schultz. She is the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee who was accused by Clinton rivals of secretly helping the party’s eventual presidential nominee.
The package intended for Holder had the wrong address and was forwarded to Wasserman Schultz.
The devices all were sent to an FBI lab in Virginia to be studied. Officials provided no details on a possible suspect or motive.
“Suffice it to say, it appears an individual or individuals sent out multiple, similar packages,” said John Miller, the New York Police Department’s head of intelligence and counterterrorism, who briefed reporters.
The U.S. Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was addressed to Hillary Clinton at the Chappaqua, New York, home she shares with former President Bill Clinton, and another that was sent to Obama at his home in Washington.
A police bomb squad removed still another from CNN’s New York office, which was evacuated. The CNN package was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, who has publicly clashed with Trump and is a regular television contributor.
I agree wholeheartedly! https://t.co/ndzu0A30vU
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 24, 2018
Speaking at an event in Austin, Texas, Brennan called the spate of pipe bombs “an unfortunate turn of events,” particularly if he and others are being targeted for their public comments.
“Unfortunately, I think Donald Trump, too often, has helped to incite some of these feelings of anger, if not violence, when he points to acts of violence or also talks about swinging at somebody from the press, the media,” Brennan said.
Overhead TV shots showed a truck carrying that device being driven away. The package sent to CNN contained a live explosive, with wires and a black pipe, and an envelope with white powder, officials said. The powder was tested and determined to have been harmless, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
BREAKING: President Trump pledges to bring suspicious device suspect to justice
Adding, "the media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories."pic.twitter.com/yHVkrSdBAf
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 25, 2018
New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill says investigators are reviewing security video to see if they can identify a courier believed to have delivered the pipe bomb package to CNN’s office. O’Neill said in an appearance on CNN that he was “pretty sure those images will be caught on video and we’ll be able to find out where that person came from before they entered the building and where they went to after.”
Earlier in the day, Waters said her Washington office was the target of a suspicious package, though it wasn’t immediately clear if that was related to the others. An FBI statement did not include Waters, whom the president has denigrated as a “low-IQ individual,” among the intended targets.
But later in the day, a package looking similar to the others and addressed to her was intercepted at a Los Angeles mail facility, according to a law enforcement official speaking on the condition of anonymity.
New Yorkers have faced down terror before and we won't be cowed by it. What you're seeing on the streets of our city today is the resiliency that makes New York City great. pic.twitter.com/iwGp1kyVvL
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) October 24, 2018
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his office received a similar package, but New York police officials said the office was cleared and no device was found.
Cuomo said at a briefing that “we will not allow these terrorist thugs to change the way we live our lives.”
Neither Clinton nor Obama received the packages sent to them, and neither was at risk because of screening procedures, the Secret Service said.
Out of an abundance of caution, I am deploying additional National Guard soldiers and directing State law enforcement to double security at vital transportation assets across New York.
New Yorkers have never succumbed to fear or intimidation, and today will be no different. pic.twitter.com/8XxY7jWYTJ
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) October 24, 2018
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement, “These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
But while stopping short of blaming Trump’s rhetoric for inspiring the attacks, Jeff Zucker, the president of CNN Worldwide, contended there was a “total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media.”
“The president, and especially the White House press secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that,” he said.
Hillary Clinton was attending campaign events for Democrats in Florida and was not at the family’s New York residence when the bomb was intercepted. But Bill Clinton was at the family’s Chappaqua home, said a person familiar with his schedule. The person said the device was screened at a Westchester County facility — not near their residence — and never reached the Clintons’ home.
A law enforcement official told the AP that the package discovered at Soros’ home appeared to be a pipe bomb and was in a package placed in a mailbox outside the gates of the compound. A Soros employee opened it just inside the gates, not near Soros’ quarters, said the official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
JUST IN: New York Gov. Cuomo: “A device has been sent to my office in Manhattan, which we were just informed about. And that device … has been identified and is being handled as we speak.”pic.twitter.com/BsJwrISqEx
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 24, 2018
Those behind such reprehensible acts must be brought to justice. We cannot tolerate any attempt to terrorize public figures. I am grateful to the @SecretService, Capitol Police, and all law enforcement who guard against these threats. https://t.co/HUQQxynU9h
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) October 24, 2018
Those responsible for these evil acts of terror must be hunted down and brought to justice, and I have great confidence that our law enforcement officers will succeed in that mission. As a nation, we must agree that this is a dangerous path and it cannot become the new normal.
— Rep. Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) October 24, 2018
I strongly condemn the attempted acts of violence against President Obama, the Clinton family, @CNN & others. There is no excuse—America is better than this.
Gratitude to the @SecretService and law enforcement for all they do to keep this nation safe.
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) October 24, 2018
We are aware of a suspicious package found in the vicinity of the Clinton residence in Chappaqua, NY, and our JTTF has engaged with our federal, state and local partners to investigate. As this is an on-going investigation, we will have no further comment at this time
— FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) October 24, 2018
MOMENTS AGO: NYPD Drives Away With Explosive Device Sent To CNN Building
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 24, 2018
(AP)
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20 Responses
America has gone crazy
A few weeks before the midterms
Coincidence? Highly unlikely
Is anyone surprised with the Trumpkopf leading cheers of “Lock her up”, demonizing everything Obama-related and targeting CNN and its reporters at every MAGA rally as the ultimate reshaim (aka fake news) and smiling as his followers at scream and curse at the CNN camera crews in the back of the room televising the event. Hopefully, ATF will quickly track down and prosecute whoever sent these packages but I doubt that will be enough to shut up this abomination .
@coffeeaddict
We got a budding Sherlock Holmes in the making!!!
It is all Trump’s fault.
Just like Hitllary said: Civility will return only when Democrats are back in office.
I think headlines should read, “CNN destroys property of unknown owner, possibly a Native American or Palestinian.”
What are the odds this was a conspiracy to help the democrats?
Probably a leftist plot to boost sympathy for the Democrats as the blue wave fades to a ripple.
RW news sites are already calling it a false flag.
This is what “October Surprise” looks like, manufactured by Bolshevik Democrat operatives.
Who summit?
Certainly not the plan of a republican. No republican would care about Hillary. She is a non-entity for tge Republicans.
Looks more like angry Brent Sanders people. Suits those radicals to do that.
Looks like a left wing setup operation. Hope it backfires.
Trump’s comments today condemning these bombings and calling for national unity are much the same as Mohamad Bin Salaman’s comments today calling the Khashoggi murder a heinous act.
This is what Maxine Waters wanted. She called for violence.
“False flags”??? Exactly what some said about 9/11. That it was an Israeli operation. Anyone here believe that? How about Pearl Harbor? Only a non-thinking person, without a shred of evidence, would believe that. Nebach.
My hunch is that it is the workings of illegal terrorizing immigrants or some nut case who thinks this will help Democrats because the media is already blaming Trump’s rhetoric, which is not any more extreme than Cuomo or DeBlazio
Gadolhadorah, I won’t even comment on your continuous political limbo and your absurd foolishness and sickening addiction of using the word “trumpkopf”. Your political and religious beliefs differ greatly than the vast amount of visitors on YWN, but I think your views on CNN really take the cake. Simply said, to me CNN was and is evil and an enemy of Israel and Jewish beliefs. Again, putting aside yours and CNN political ideologies which are the antithesis of Torah Judaism (I’m talking about LGBT and abortions), ever since my first interest in watching cable news in early high school I had to ask my parents why CNN is interviewing Palestinian parents after we lost several Jews in Israel after a Palestinian attack. At my age, I was so confused how anyone can blame Israel or a yeshiva in Israel for the loss of Jewish life (because of Palestinian Terror). CNN was not only defending, but they were blaming Israel! Fast forward to today, just a month ago I had to turn CNN off in a rage because they had Palestinian Activist Linda Sarsour giving “her take” on the brutal murder of Ari Fuld. Gadol, I know you will likely always defend the actions of the Democratic Party, and how even non-biased media mediums have been publishing articles how the Democratic party is against Israel’s interest in 2018. My Liberal friend of many years in Florida will never vote Republican, but he is staying home this coming November from Voting (as a local Democratic candidate is openly against Israel). What I find insulting and hurtful is how you raise CNN on a pedestal.
I’m going to make a ($5) bet here and profile the sender with some caveats. If it is determined that there is a single person sending these devices, the perp will likely be a white male age 35 or higher. The sender will identify with conservative politics.
Remember, Hitler (yamach shmo) also burned Reichstag.
Important to remember that earlier this week Trump publicly praised Greg Gianforte for his violent act against a reporter.