Congress on edge after surge of threats, swatting attacks against lawmakers
The escalation of bomb threats and swatting attacks against legislators since the elections highlights the political division in the U.S., and both Democrats and Republicans are calling for increased protection.
The incoming Trump administration and members of Congress have received a number of false alarms regarding pipe bombs and dangerous swatting, where a fake call for an emergency sends heavily-armed police to the target’s home.
A woman died in a car accident with an officer who responded to the incident after a swatting attack against Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Rep. Jared Golden, of Maine, was one of many East Coast Democrats who received threats over the Thanksgiving holiday.
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The Washington Times reported that the authorities do not know who sent the email threat to Mr. Golden, and it may have been a foreign IP.
He said both parties should tone down their rhetoric. For example, Democratic leaders calling Democrats “dangerous socialists” or Republicans saying that Mr. Trump’s victory “could lead to the end to democracy as we know.”
Mr. Golden stated that both sides should stop immediately.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (Louisiana Republican) and House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffreys, New York Democrat both condemned the attacks.
Mr. Jeffries demanded “maximum protection for legislators”.
Thomas Manger, the U.S. Capitol Police chief, told a Senate committee that more than 50 members have been victims of swatting since the elections.
Chief Manger stated that 700 investigations were launched in response to the threats, and the Capitol Hill Police force was put under a lot of pressure.
Chief Manger stated that “just in the last 30 days, we have had more than 50 members of Congress swatted. We need to examine what we can improve to ensure people are safe, not just on campus, but also off-campus, and in their districts.”
Capitol Police informed the Times that the agency had hired hundreds of officers since 2021 and made improvements to “improve intelligence and operational planning, communications, training, equipment and staffing.”
A police spokesperson stated that “our teams work around the clock to investigate potential threats and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in order to prevent possible attacks against legislators.”
The House Administration Committee is responsible for overseeing the U.S. Capitol Police. Rep. Bryan Steil (who chairs the committee) told The Times he was working to increase the size of police’s threat assessment teams. There is more work to be done to improve security for visitors and lawmakers to the Capitol.
“Political violence and threats have no place in our society,” Mr. Steil, Wisconsin Republican, said.
The threat of violence against legislators is not a recent phenomenon. However, the increase after the elections was unheard of.
Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana received death threats for his family after he was selected to be the Interior Secretary in President Trump’s first tenure.
“I received a number of legitimate death threats against me, my family and my dogs,” Zinke said to The Times. “At the very end, I was unable to take my dog on a walk.”
Mr. Zinke stated that the “root of problem” is the anger among partisans in the United States, and this should be addressed.
He said that there is still time to achieve a balance. He said that all it took was for politicians from across the political spectrum “to realize… we could disagree.”
He said: “We may disagree vehemently, but let’s avoid being disagreeable when it leads to violence and assaults or a rhetoric which encourages such actions.”
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