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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Chris Riotta, Kristin Hugo

US bomb threats - LIVE: Joe Biden and Robert De Niro latest Trump critics to receive suspicious packages

At least three more packages similar to those sent to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have been reported to the FBI, one at a New York restaurant owned by the actor Robert De Niro and two sent to former Vice President Joe Biden.

That means the number of devices sent to prominent Democrats and critics of Donald Trump has reached 10 in the last few days.

Billionaire George Soros, former CIA director John Brennan, veteran congresswoman Maxine Waters and news organisation CNN have also been targeted. 

Follow live updates below

"This is absolutely terrorism," New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said during a press conference. "The whole game plan of terrorists is to intimidate us. New Yorkers refuse to be intimidated.” 

FBI assistant director William Sweeney said that the FBI is not treating the devices as hoaxes. 
"We don't know" if other bombs are out there, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said during a press conference. 
 
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said that it was important that New Yorkers remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. 
FBI assistant director William Sweeney has declared that the powder recently found in envelopes were not physically dangerous. 
 
"The powder in those particular envelopes did not present a biological threat," he said during a press conference.  
 
It had been suspected that the white powder in suspicious packages might have been anthrax, and part of an attack linked to the pipe bomb scare. 
Law enforcement officials are currently trying to determine whether the bombs were designed to go off, or whether they were inactive and sent to sow fear. 
 
The bombs set to go off on a timer, but never did. They also were not rigged to go off when someone opened the package. It's possible that the bombs never would have gone off in the first place, but police aren't sure whether that's because they were poorly designed or because the person who made them wasn't intending for them to explode. 

Newt Gingrich is speaking at an Axios event in Washington about the string of suspicious packages sent to prominent Democrats. 

The former House speaker said the American press has “earned” being called the “enemy of the people” by Donald Trump, and that the current political climate is “everyone’s fault.” 

As to why so many Republicans have purported the suspicious packages to be a left-wing false flag conspiracy, Mr Gingrich said, “Because it’s October,” with the midterm elections less than two weeks away.

The FBI is reminding Americans to remain alert as a string of suspicious packages are sent across the country to prominent Democrats, warning that additional explosives could still be undiscovered and in the mail. 

The federal agency posted this tweet on Thursday after three packages were reportedly intercepted — two for Joe Biden and one for Robert De Niro. 



 

Rep John Garamendi called for a calming of rhetoric in an interview with CNN after suspicious packages were sent to prominent Democrats across the country. 

“It's a sad time, it's a very dangerous moment for America," the California Democrat said. "All of us need to understand that our words have impact... I would hope that the President would be more careful.”



 

California Democrat Maxine Waters has responded to a string of suspicious packages — many containing explosive devices — after she was included in the targeted attack, saying she “ain’t scared” of the threats levelled against her and other prominent Democrats. 

"We have to keep to doing what we’re doing in order to make this country right; that’s what I intend to do, and as the young people say, 'I ain’t scared,’” Ms Waters told Blavity

"I think the president of United States should take responsibility for the kind of violence that we are seeing for the first time in different ways," she continued. "I think the president of the United States has been dog-whistling to his constituency, making them believe that their problems are caused by those people over there."

Investigators believe all of the suspicious packages sent to Democrats like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Debbie Wasserman Schultz went through the US Postal Service “at some point,” Reuters reported. 

Law enforcement is reportedly focusing on Florida where federal officials are following numerous leads.

As federal officials investigate the latest suspicious packages sent to Joe Biden and Robert De Niro, here's The Independent's timeline on the thread of explosives sent to prominent Democrats throughout the week, beginning with liberal billionaire philanthropist George Soros. 
 

Investigators believe all of the suspicious packages sent to Democrats like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Debbie Wasserman Schultz were shipped through the US Postal Service. 

Law enforcement is reportedly focusing on Florida where federal officials are following numerous leads.

A building adjacent to the US Capitol has been evacuated after a fire alarm was triggered, causing already-high tensions to rise on Capitol Hill amid numerous interceptions of suspicious packages sent to high-profile recipients.

The CNN offices were evacuated yesterday after a fire alarm was set off to alert the newsroom about the discovery of a pipe bomb sent to the Time Warner headquarters. 

The fire alarm in Washington was caused by an electrical malfunction, Reuters reported. 

Sky News has reported federal law enforcement officials are following leads in Florida surrounding the series of suspicious packages containing explosive devices that were sent to Democratic leadership and those considered critical of Donald Trump. 

At least one package arrived in Florida at the offices of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee whose name appeared on several return labels included with the packages. 



 
Here's video of Sarah Huckabee Sanders defending Donald Trump's rhetoric surrounding the 10 suspicious packages that have been sent to Democrats and many of his political opponents in recent days. 
 
The White House press secretary says the president has "condemned violence in all forms."
 


 

Here’s the latest from New York, after a security guard alerted authorities about a suspicious device at Robert De Niro’s Manhattan office, via the AP

Two officials told the Associated Press on Thursday that a person working at the building with a law-enforcement background called police after seeing images of a package bomb sent to CNN and recalling a similar package addressed to Mr De Niro.

Mayor Bill De Blasio said: “Thank God there were no injuries.”

Mr De Blasio said the device removed from Mr De Niro’s office “was very similar to the devices that have located within the last 48 hours” at CNN and locations connected to prominent Democrats.

He said all of them appear to be from the same sender and it’s “clearly an effort to terrorize people politically, to choose people for political purposes and attack them because of their beliefs.”

Mr De Blasio said the device is being examined at an NYPD facility in the Bronx.

Former FBI Director James Comey appeared to criticise President Trump’s leadership following a string of explosive devices mailed to prominent Democrats.

Mr Comey often tweets things aimed at Mr Trump, without naming him.

"Example, whether it be good or bad, has a powerful influence,” Mr Comey tweeted, quoting George Washington.

 
 

President Trump believes he is being unfairly linked to the serial package bombing incidents and has no current plans to claim any personal responsibility that his rhetoric has contributed to the attempted attacks, two people who have spoken to him today told CNN.

The president received an update on the latest incidents today. He is telling aides he is confident the authorities will find the suspect or suspects.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has spoken about the bombs and the suspicious packages found over the last several days.

“We condemn the actions that led to these activities in the strongest possible terms,” Mr Sessions said at the Justice Department for an event on combating the opioid crisis this morning. “We’re determined to get to the bottom of it and see that justice is done.”
Here is what we know about the attempted bombings:
 
A manhunt is underway for the perpetrator behind the packages. Law enforcement authorities are treating the series of bombs as a domestic terror matter and are advising the public to remain vigilant.
 
The motive is unknown, but the recipients are all prominent targets of right-wing criticism and, in many cases, of Trump himself.
 
The FBI's counterterrorism division is leading the investigation into the packages and the agency says it's possible additional packages were mailed to other locations. 
 
It is being seen as a matter of domestic terrorism, which is the assumption based on the absence of other information

Local Delaware authorities have identified the location of the two post office scenes where the packages to Mr Biden were found.

  • The 1500 block of Lancaster Avenue in Wilmington, Delaware, according to Wilmington police
  • 147 Quigley Blvd. in New Castle, Delaware, according to Delaware State Police.

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