Hakeem Jeffries condemns bomb threats against Democrats, doesn’t mention threats against GOP

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday condemned the spate of threats against Democratic lawmakers on Thanksgiving but made no mention of the recent threats against President-elect Donald Trump’s nominations and appointees.

Most of Connecticut’s congressional delegation were targets of threats on Thursday, but in each incident, law enforcement found no evidence of a bomb. All the threats were similar, usually beginning with a message to police.

“These incidents ranged from detailed threats of a pipe bomb placed in mailboxes to swatting, all signed with ‘MAGA’ at the conclusion of the message,” said a statement from the office of Mr. Jeffries, New York Democrat. “Thanks to the swift reaction from law enforcement, no devices were found and Members of Congress and their families were kept safe on the holiday.”

Mr. Jeffries said that he and the threatened lawmakers have discussed the incidents with the House sergeant at arms, and said that “it is imperative that Congress provide maximum protection for all Members and their families moving forward.”

Among the threatened lawmakers were Reps. Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, John Larson and Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Chris Murphy, six of the seven members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation.

Another East Coast Democrat, Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island, said in a statement on Friday that he and his family were also the target of a bomb threat and that, like his colleagues, police did not find a bomb on his property. 

The threats against Democrats followed a string of threats against members of the incoming Trump administration, which Mr. Jeffries did not explicitly mention in his statement condemning the threats against Democrats.

Among the Republicans targeted were Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the pick for U.S. ambassador to the U.N.; Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, the nominee for labor secretary; former Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York, nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency; and Pete Hegseth, the pick for defense secretary.

Some were also targets of “swatting,” a tactic in which someone reports a fake emergency, usually at someone’s home, to produce a massive and potentially dangerous law enforcement response.

Like the threats against Democratic lawmakers, none of the threats against Republicans were proved credible or tangible.

“America is a democracy,” Mr. Jeffries said. “Threats of violence against elected officials are unacceptable, unconscionable and have no place in a civilized society. All perpetrators of political violence directed at any party must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”