Evening Report — Trump Cabinet picks face bomb, swatting threats

Evening Report

Wednesday, November 27

Trump Cabinet picks face bomb, swatting threats

Several of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks have been targeted with threats over the last week, including four with reported bomb threats at their homes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, The Hill's Brett Samuels reports.

Karoline Leavitt, who was chosen as Trump’s incoming White House press secretary, said the appointees "were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them."

The FBI said it was aware of “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents," or false emergency calls targeting someone's home. It said it was working with law enforcement partners and takes "all potential threats seriously."

Trump's transition team praised law enforcement for quickly responding to the reported threats. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called the threats “dangerous and unhinged.”

Here are some of the Trump figures targeted:

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)

A spokesperson for Stefanik, Trump’s choice to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement that the lawmaker’s home in upstate New York was targeted with a bomb threat.

“New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism,” her office said in a post on X. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7.”

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in Florida reported a bomb threat related to a mailbox purportedly tied to Gaetz.

A family member lives at the home but Gaetz does not, the sheriff's office said, adding the area was cleared and no devices were found.

Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration to be Trump’s attorney general last week amid scrutiny from members of both parties.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.)

Zeldin, Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said in a statement Wednesday that his family’s home was targeted with a pipe bomb threat. Zeldin said the threat contained a “pro-Palestinian themed message.”

Zeldin, who is Jewish, said he and his family were not home at the time.

Brooke Rollins

Rollins, who was chosen to serve as Trump’s secretary of Agriculture, posted online that there was a threat against her and her family at their Texas home.

She said Fort Worth police cleared the area and her family was able to return home.

Howard Lutnick

Trump's Commerce secretary pick reportedly had a threat against his home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The New York Police Department confirmed the threat, News12 reported.

Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Lauren Irwin, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.

Programming note: Evening Report won't publish on Thursday or Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday and will be back in your inboxes on Monday.

CATCH UP QUICK

A record number of Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving this year, with 79.9 million estimated travelers, AAA said.
Trump has tapped retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a former National Security Council chief of staff, to be his special envoy to Ukraine and Russia.
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah began early Wednesday morning, after the Israeli and Lebanese governments approved the U.S. deal to stop fighting.
The end of Trump’s various legal battles has sparked finger-pointing about the Department of Justice’s pace with his multi-year cases.

NEWS THIS AFTERNOON

Menendez seeks new trial

Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) asked a federal judge to throw out his corruption conviction and grant him a new trial after it was revealed jurors were accidentally shown improper evidence during deliberations, The Hill's Ella Lee reported.

Menendez’s attorney wrote in court filings that the “serious breach” makes a new trial “unavoidable.”

Prosecutors previously revealed that nine exhibits shown to jurors during deliberations showed material that should have been redacted.
The government argues that shouldn’t change the outcome of Menendez’s conviction, but his team disagrees.

Menendez was convicted in July 16 on counts, including accepting bribes in exchange for political actions and acting as a foreign agent of Egypt.

He resigned from the Senate in August and has maintained his innocence. Menendez is awaiting sentencing Jan. 29.

💡Perspectives:

• Jack Smith must release a final report on Trump (The Hill)

• Trump’s tariffs threats are all sizzle and no steak — at least, we’d better hope so (The Hill)

• How Trump has changed and will change the Constitution (The Hill)

• After a rough election season, we must embrace gratitude, appreciation and thanks (The Hill)

THANKSGIVING TRAVEL

President Biden traveled to Nantucket, Mass., on Tuesday evening to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family. The Bidens have spent all four of his in-office Thanksgiving holidays at billionaire David Rubenstein’s house on the island.

President-elect Trump is expected to spend the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago estate, where he has regularly celebrated Thanksgiving.

Vice President Harris, who released her first video statement since the election, flew to San Francisco on Monday for the holiday week.

ON TAP

Lawmakers will head back to Washington on Monday as they wrap up work for the year and look toward the start of the 119th Congress. Both chambers have been in recess since last week for the holiday.

The Senate unveiled a deal last week to finish working on seven of Biden’s nine judicial nominees. It was previously stalled, but the upper chamber will confirm each judge after their Thanksgiving recess.

IN OTHER NEWS

X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has gotten involved in the bankruptcy sale of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's Infowars site, The Hill's Zach Schonfeld reports. In an objection filed Monday, X said its terms of service prevent Jones’s X accounts from being sold off without the company’s approval. The satirical newspaper The Onion purchased Jones’s Infowars website nearly two weeks ago at auction.
Three Americans who were detained in China were released as part of a prisoner swap with Beijing, the White House said. The U.S. citizens — Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung — were freed in exchange for the release of an undisclosed number of Chinese nationals.
Ohio's Republican governor Mike DeWine signed a bill barring transgender students trom using locker rooms and school restrooms matching their gender identity, The Hill's Brooke Migdon reports.