Bombs mailed to CNN, Dems
Explosives seized before reaching their intended targets
WASHINGTON — A sudden wave of pipe bombs targeting Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, other prominent Democrats and CNN was thwarted without physical harm in a day of domestic terror amid deepening political tensions and fears two weeks before national midterm elections.
None of the bombs detonated Wednesday as law enforcement took them away for examination and disposal.
The first crude bomb to be discovered had been delivered Monday to the suburban New York compound of George Soros, a liberal billionaire and major contributor to Democratic causes. The FBI said an additional package was intended for former Attorney General Eric Holder, but that one ended up at a Florida office of Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose return address was on it.
Later Wednesday, a package addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters with similar markings and characteristics to the other devices was intercepted at a Los Angeles mail facility.
The targets of the bombs were some of the figures most frequently criticized by President Donald Trump, who still assails Ms. Clinton at rallies while supporters chant “lock her up” — two years after he defeated her and she largely left the political scene. Mr. Trump accuses Mr. Soros of paying protesters and singles out cable news network CNN as he rails against the “fake news” media.
He took a softer tone at a rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday night.
“Let’s get along,” he said. “By the way, do you see how nice I’m behaving tonight? Have you ever seen this?”
The attacks overtook other news in an already-tense political season that could reshape Congress and serve as a referendum on the first two years of Mr. Trump’s presidency. The actions, which caused panicked building evacuations and reports of additional explosives that later proved unfounded, are bound to add to fears that overheated rhetoric could lead to deadly violence as the parties engage in bitter fights over immigration, the Supreme Court and the treatment of women.
The White House condemned the attacks.
“Acts or threats of political violence have no place in the United States,” Mr. Trump said. “This egregious conduct is abhorrent.”
Other Republican leaders said the same. But Democratic Senate and House leaders Chuck Schumer of New York and Nancy Pelosi of California said such words “ring hollow” when coming from Mr. Trump. They noted the president’s recent praise of a GOP congressman who bodyslammed a reporter, among other Trump statements.
Law enforcement officials said all the packages were similar: manila envelopes with bubble-wrap interior bearing six stamps and the return address of Ms. Wasserman Schultz. She is the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee who was accused by Clinton rivals of secretly helping the party’s eventual presidential nominee.
The package intended for Mr. Holder had the wrong address and was forwarded to Ms. Wasserman Schultz.
The devices all were sent to an FBI lab in Virginia to be studied. Officials provided no details on a possible suspect or motive.
“Suffice it to say, it appears an individual or viduals sent out multiple, similar packages,” said John Miller, the New York Police Department’s head of intelligence and counterterrorism, who briefed reporters.
The U.S. Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was addressed to Ms. Clinton at the Chappaqua, N.Y., home she shares with former President Bill Clinton, and another that was sent to Mr. Obama at his home in Washington.
A police bomb squad removed still another from CNN’s New York office, which was evacuated. The CNN package was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, who has publicly clashed with Mr. Trump and is a regular television contributor.
Speaking at an event in Austin, Texas, Mr. Brennan called the spate of pipe bombs “an unfortunate turn of events,” particularly if he and others are being targeted for their public comments.
“Unfortunately, I think Donald Trump, too often, has helped to incite some of these feelings of anger, if not violence, when he points to acts of violence or also talks about swinging at somebody from the press, the media,” Mr. Brennan said.
TV shots showed a truck carrying that device being driven away. The package sent to CNN contained a live explosive, with wires and a black pipe, and an envelope with white powder, officials said. The powder was tested and determined to have been harmless, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
New York City police Commissioner James O’Neill says investigators are reviewing security video to see if they can identify a courier believed to have delivered the pipe bomb package to CNN’s office. Commissioner O’Neill said in an appearance on CNN that he was “pretty sure those images will be caught on video and we’ll be able to find out where that person came from before they entered the building and where they went to after.”
Earlier in the day, Ms. Waters said her Washington office was the target of a suspicious package, though it wasn’t immediately clear if that was related to the others. An FBI statement did not include Ms. Waters, whom the president has denigrated as a “low-IQ individual,” among the intended targets.
But later in the day, a package looking similar to the others and addressed to her was intercepted at a Los Angeles mail facility, according to a law enforcement official speaking on the condition of anonymity.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his office received a similar package, but New York police officials said the office was cleared and no device was found.