The incoming Trump administration “border czar” is blaming negative press coverage of him and other members of the president-elect’s team for a rash of threats against him and his colleagues.
Nearly a dozen incoming White House staff and cabinet secretary-designates were targeted with what the FBI has described as “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents” in a statement released on Wednesday.
The FBI said they were investigating the incidents, which were “unequivocally condemned” by the White House.
But Tom Homan, Trump’s pick to oversee his proposed mass deportation program, said the coverage he and his colleagues have received is in part to blame.
During an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, Homan said he spoke about critical coverage of Trump and his team, and previous threats he has experienced.
“I was in the first administration and I had numerous death threats, I had a security detail with me all the time,” Homan explained. “Even after I retired, the death threats continued and even after I retired as ICE director I had US marshalls protection for a long time to protect me and my family.
“What doesn’t help is all the negative press around the president [elect] and the people he’s putting in his cabinet. Me, I’m not in the cabinet but I’ve read numerous hit pieces on me, ‘I’m a racist’, ‘I’m the father of family separation’ and all this other stuff, so the hate media doesn’t help at all because there are some nuts out there. They’ll take advantage. So that doesn’t help.
“I thought we were beyond that now that the election is finished,” he continued. “But now I will take that more serious after I heard what happened in the last 24 hours. I’ve always had the attitude lately that if you want some, come get some.”
Trump picks targeted by the threats include Central Intelligence Agency nominee John Ratcliffe, Secretary of Defense-designate Pete Hegseth and New York Representative Elise Stefanik, who is Trump’s United Nations Ambassador-designate.
Agriculture Secretary-designate Brooke Rollins and Environmental Protection Agency administrator-designate Lee Zeldin also said they were subjected to threats.
In a statement on Wednesday, Trump transition spokesperson and incoming White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them.
“These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting.’ In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.”
Swatting is when emergency responders are sent to someone’s home because of a fake call.
