Explosive Devices Sent to Obama, Clinton: US Secret Service
The US Secret Service has intercepted “potential explosive devices” that were sent to former US President Barack Obama and former presidential candidate and first lady Hillary Clinton.
The explosives sent to Clinton were found late Tuesday while the one addressed to Obama was found early Wednesday, the Secret Service said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such.” the agency said, according to Press TV.
Neither Clinton nor Obama received the explosives and the packages never reached their homes because of security procedures, the Secret Service said.
The package addressed to Obama’s home in Washington was intercepted Wednesday by Secret Service agents.
The packages sent to the two leading Democrats and a bomb delivered to one of the party’s major donors days earlier come roughly two weeks before the November 6 congressional elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress in a deeply polarized nation.
Hillary Clinton was attending campaign events for Democrats in Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday and was not at the family’s residence in Chappaqua, New York, at the time. Former US president Bill Clinton was home at the time the package was intercepted.
A third explosive package found in the mail room of Time Warner Center in New York City forced the evacuation of the building, which houses CNN’s New York bureau.
The discovery of the packages came after a small bomb was found earlier this week at the home of billionaire Democratic donor George Soros in the New York City suburb of Katonah, about 10 miles (16 km) from the Clintons’ home.
Trump’s words after bomb threats against Obama, Clinton ‘ring hollow’
Top Congressional Democrats are decrying US President Donald Trump’s response to bomb threats against Former US President Barrack Obama and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton as well as some other senior Democrats ahead of the November midterms.
Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi released a statement after the president made comments about the interception of explosive devices addressed to Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, former CIA Director John Brennan and former Attorney General Eric Holder among others.
“Time and time again, the President has condoned physical violence and divided Americans with his words and his actions,” said the two lawmakers. “President Trump’s words ring hollow until he reverses his statements that condone acts of violence.”
While signing an anti-opioid addiction bill into law at the White House earlier in the day, Trump condemned “political violence” without mentioning any of the officials targeted by name.
“I just want to tell you that in these times, we have to unify. We have to come together and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America,” Trump said at a White House event where he signed an anti-opioid addiction bill into law.
An explosive was discovered in the mailbox at the home of billionaire Democratic supporter George Soros while Democratic Representative Maxine Waters was also sent a suspicious package.
H.M