WASHINGTON (JTA) — Federal authorities arrested a man on Friday in Florida in connection with a series of mail bombs sent to figures who have been the target of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric.
The media reported that the man was in his 50s.
At least 12 explosive devices have been sent to an array of top Democrats and liberals who have tangled with Trump. None of the devices have exploded.
Among the targets have been former President Barack Obama, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Joe Biden and CNN.
Two of the targets are Jewish: The first bomb was delivered to George Soros, the Holocaust survivor and billionaire philanthropist, and the Florida office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been the return address on all the packages. Wasserman Schultz’s office was evacuated when a misaddressed bomb was returned to her.
In the wake of the bomb attempts, Trump has blamed the media for stoking incivility.
In a tweet just an hour or so before the arrests, Trump appeared to suggest the bombs were a hoax and expressed frustration that they were distracting Americans from his pre-election political message.
“Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows — news not talking politics,” Trump said. “Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!”
