Rep. Seth Magaziner wasn’t overly concerned about a bomb threat he received at his home over the Thanksgiving holiday because it was “so obviously fake.”
The Democrat from Rhode Island said it was written to look like it came from one of Donald Trump’s supporters, but he doesn’t necessarily believe that’s the case — he thinks they may never know who sent it — and said “it’s important not to jump to conclusions.”
But it is, he thinks, reflective of the political times.
“I think we’re all generally aware of the fact that we are living in tense times and member security needs to be more of a priority and that there probably ought to be more resources put behind that,” Magaziner told NOTUS.
A surge in bomb threats and swattings at lawmakers’ homes over the last several weeks has some of them questioning how much the political environment they’re working in after the election has intensified. At a hearing on Wednesday, Capitol Hill Police Chief J. Thomas Manger told lawmakers that more than 700 safety threats came into his agency in November.
“Who knew that the number of threats would go through the roof,” Manger said when discussing changes since he first took the position. “Who knew that the tactics that folks that want to disrupt the lives and disrupt the work of members of Congress would result in having 50 people swatted in the last month. … The heightened threat level in this country has not gone down, and so we do need additional resources.”
The bomb threats since November have all been false alarms. They’ve involved lawmakers of both parties on both sides of the Capitol and spanned several states. One cluster of threats hit lawmakers close to the Thanksgiving holiday, and they’ve continued through recent days.
Lawmakers are wondering just how far-reaching the consequences of these threats, beyond their immediate safety, will be.
“When I talk to students at high schools and colleges, one of the more common questions I ask is, ‘How many of you thought about becoming an elected official?’” Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley, who’s seen threats against fellow members of Congress rise since he arrived on Capitol Hill 15 years ago, told NOTUS. “And I asked those who did not raise their hands, ‘Why?’ And all too common, the answer now is, ‘Too dangerous.’”
Rep. Lori Trahan, a Democrat, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican, both issued statements after receiving threats at their homes within the past week. Although none of the members or their families have been harmed, a motorist reportedly died in a traffic accident involving an officer in Georgia who was responding to a threat at Greene’s residence.
Rep. John Larson called the incident a “tragedy” in highlighting the stakes of the threats. Larson received a bomb threat on Thanksgiving morning while at his home in Connecticut. East Hartford police officers determined that the threat was a false alarm.
“Most lawmakers are concerned about their families and the impacts of it. So we’re down here. The bomb threat was at home. … So the real concern, the heightened concern, is for a spouse and family,” Larson told NOTUS.
Several Democrats wondered if the messages could have originated from a foreign entity.
“I think the suspicion is probably it’s overseas as opposed to local, given the fact that text and the threats were the same whether it was members from the West Coast or East Coast,” Rep. Joe Courtney, another lawmaker who received a threat on Thanksgiving, told NOTUS.
Capitol Hill Police and the FBI did not respond to requests for comment.
Several members called on law enforcement to do more in response.
“We need to make sure that we enforce our laws and make sure people understand there’s consequences, whether they’re playing jokes or not playing jokes,” Republican Rep. Mike Collins told NOTUS. He said he’s been concerned about his safety and it’s “fine, but your family is the other part of it.”
Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost told NOTUS he’s used to receiving death threats but that he thought the recent bomb threats were “100%” resulting from a more aggravated political climate.
“Usually, members who are more high profile receive a lot more of the threats and stuff like that, but these bomb threats are going to a lot of people who, I guess, normally wouldn’t be in that category,” Frost said.
Republican Rep. Tim Burchett told NOTUS his house was targeted with swatting last weekend, and it was not the first time it had happened this year. He said he doesn’t expect these types of threats to stop soon, but he hoped it wasn’t “partisan in nature.”
“They’re gonna keep pushing it, and we’re gonna let our guard down, and something bad’s gonna happen if we don’t take the precautions,” Burchett told NOTUS.
Rep. Jahana Hayes, another Connecticut Democrat targeted with a bomb threat, said the surge shows the political climate is “too hot.”
“This isn’t the way we deal with differences. It’s inappropriate,” Hayes said.
Several Republican House members, like Rep. Michael Cloud, told NOTUS that the wave of threats doesn’t make them any more concerned for their safety.
“I’m here to serve the American people and will continue to do so. It’s not gonna affect what I’m doing here,” Cloud said.
Republican Rep. Clay Higgins told NOTUS that the threats are “part of life being up here in this era” where threatening messages can easily be sent through anonymized accounts.
“So you have a bunch of guys out there now that are presenting threats that they have no intention or capability of backing [them] up,” Higgins said. So, we’re paying attention to it, but, yeah, I’m not concerned.”
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Torrence Banks and Emily Kennard are NOTUS reporters and Allbritton Journalism Institute fellows.