Trump attacks media over mail bomb scare
Robert De Niro and Joe Biden became the latest targets of a mail bomb scare gripping the US. The packages discovered yesterday were similar to crude pipe bombs sent to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other prominent critics of Donald Trump in recent days. The US president, while decrying political violence, also blamed “the false and inaccurate reporting of the mainstream media” for “a very big part of the anger we see today in our society”.
JOE BIDEN and Robert De Niro became the latest targets of a mail bomb scare gripping the US, as Donald Trump blamed the media for igniting “anger” in society.
The packages discovered yesterday were similar to crude pipe bombs sent to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other prominent critics of the president in recent days.
One addressed to De Niro was found in the post room of the actor’s restaurant in Tribeca, New York. Two others addressed to Mr Biden were detected in postal facilities in Delaware, the former vice-president’s home state.
Mr Trump came under criticism for blaming the media in the aftermath of the bomb scare, with John Brennan, the former CIA director, pointing out that the US president had frequently verbally attacked these individuals at rallies.
Mr Brennan, one of the intended bomb targets, told the president to “stop blaming others”, as he accused him of “inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, and encouragement of physical violence”.
Mr Trump tweeted earlier yesterday: “A very big part of the anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News.”
All the explosive devices were packed in manila envelopes with bubble-wrap and bearing six stamps and the return address of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The bombs seized on Wednesday were about six inches long and each contained a small battery and was packed with powder and broken glass, according to a law enforcement official.
A full-scale manhunt is now under way to track down the perpetrator.
Last night a law-enforcement source said the investigation was focusing on leads in Florida. All the suspicious packages are believed to have gone through the US postal system at some point, the source said.
The spree of attempted attacks began on Monday, when a device was delivered to the home of George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and prominent Democrat donor. Since then at least 10 suspicious packages have been intercepted by authorities.
On Tuesday a suspicious package was discovered addressed to Hillary and Bill Clinton’s house in Chappaqua, New York. Then on Wednesday morn- ing a similar device was found addressed to the home of Barack and Michelle Obama in Washington DC.
The Time Warner Center in New York was later evacuated after a device was found in the CNN mail room in the building. The package had the name of Mr Brennan, who occasionally appears on CNN, on the front. It also contained a white powder.
A string of other suspect packages emerged throughout the day, including at the offices of Democratic congresswomen, including Deborah Wasserman Schultz in Florida and Maxine Waters in California.
Officials searched the United States Postal Service records overnight and two more suspicious packages, addressed to Mr Biden, were discovered yesterday morning.
The device at De Niro’s restaurant was discovered after an employee recalled seeing a package similar to those delivered to Democrat figures.
Like earlier targets, both Mr Biden and De Niro have been sharply critical of Mr Trump.
The actor ridiculed the president at this year’s Tony Awards and also apologised to Canadians for the “idiotic behaviour of my president”.
Mr Biden said last week that the president may not “know what he’s doing” and coddles dictators.
Mr Trump decried political violence as the attempted attacks continued to unfold. At a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday night, he urged Americans to unify. “Let’s get along,” he said. “By the way, do you see how nice I’m behaving tonight? Have you ever seen this?”
But at the same event, he later blamed the media and on Twitter yesterday kept up the argument that the media plays a role.
Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, defended Mr Trump’s comments and drew a distinction between words and deeds.
“There is a big difference between comments made and actions taken,” she said yesterday. “The president is certainly not responsible for sending suspicious packages to someone, no more than Bernie Sanders was responsible for a supporter of his shooting up a Republican baseball field practice last year.”
‘A very big part of the anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting’