Explosive devices were sent Tuesday and Wednesday to former President Obama, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, as well as CNN, raising new fears about violence in a politically polarized…
Explosive devices were sent Tuesday and Wednesday to former President Obama, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, as well as CNN, raising new fears about violence in a politically polarized country just two weeks from midterm elections that could change the power structure in Washington.
The suspicious packages led to the evacuation of the Time Warner building in Manhattan and a full investigation involving the Secret Service as well as federal, state and local authorities.
Packages were also addressed to former Attorney General Eric Holder and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).
A suspicious package also led to the evacuation of former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz ’s congressional office in Florida. Her address had been listed as the return address on the package addressed to Holder.
All of the people targeted by the packages have been frequently criticized by President Trump, who condemned the attempted attacks as “abhorrent” during remarks from the White House on Wednesday afternoon.
“We are extremely angry, upset, unhappy about what we witnessed this morning and we will get to the bottom of it,” Trump said.
Both parties have complained that the other has engaged in dangerous rhetoric that threatens to spill over into actual violence.
Republicans as part of their closing arguments for the midterms have warned voters against giving congressional majorities to a liberal “mob” that would be empowered by Democrats, pointing to the recent confirmation fight over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh as an example.
A little more than a year ago, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) was gravely wounded in a shooting at a congressional baseball practice by a man who opposed Trump and ranted about politics in social media posts.
“I have experienced first-hand the effects of political violence, and am committed to using my voice to speak out against it wherever I can,” Scalise said Wednesday.
Democrats blame Trump for lowering the level of discourse in the country. Trump has criticized Waters as having a “low IQ” and repeatedly called for Clinton to be jailed. “Lock her up” remains a popular chant at his rallies.
The first explosive device was discovered by the Secret Service on Tuesday night and had been addressed to Clinton’s home in Chappaqua, N. Y. On Wednesday morning, another device sent to Obama’s home in Washington, D. C., was discovered by the Secret Service.
Later on Wednesday, CNN was forced to evacuate its New York studios after a suspected bomb along with an envelope of white powder was found in a package in the company’s mailroom. That package was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, a frequent critic of Trump’s.
Other suspicious packages were sent to Holder and Waters; the latter was discovered at a congressional mail-sorting location in Maryland.
A building in San Diego that houses the offices of The San Diego Union-Tribune and Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) was also evacuated after a suspicious package was reportedly identified outside.
Reports have suggested that the bomb sent to the Clintons and the Obamas bore similarities to one mailed to the Bedford, N. Y., home of billionaire philanthropist George Soros that was investigated and safely detonated by authorities on Monday.
Officials remain on high alert given the possibility more suspicious devices could be found.
Clinton and lawmakers from both parties called for officials to dial back their rhetoric in response to the attempted attacks.
“We’ve got to tone down the rhetoric. Both sides,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who recently revealed that his family had received death threats “from the right,” said. “We’ve got to see people as opponents, not enemies.”
“Don’t encourage violence, don’t encourage hatred, don’t encourage attacks on media,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. “Unfortunately, this atmosphere of hatred is contributing to the choices people are making to turn to violence.”
Trump said Wednesday that the United States must “unify” in condemnation of the threats.
“In these times, we have to unify. We have to come together and send one strong unmistakable message that acts and threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America,” Trump said. “This egregious conduct is abhorrent to everything we hold dear and sacred as Americans.”
Officials in New York continue to investigate the unidentified white powder contained in the envelope sent to CNN, and are working to safely transport the explosive device — which they described as a pipe bomb — to a facility so that it can be tested and analyzed.
While details surrounding the attempted attacks remain scarce, de Blasio said Wednesday he believes they are part of a terrorist plot.
“What we saw here today was an effort to terrorize. This clearly is an act of terror, attempting to undermine our free press and leaders of this country through acts of violence,” de Blasio said. “The people of New York City will not be intimidated.”
Federal officials are expected to provide updates on their findings, but its unclear when further details about the devices or any suspects in the cases will be revealed.
