America has been rattled by attacks recently. Now it could be coming to Washington, D.C.
And this violent threat against Congress shut down the Capitol.
The alarming rise in bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting lawmakers since the election has laid bare the intensifying political divide in America, prompting calls for enhanced security measures from both parties.
Lawmakers and members of President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration have faced a wave of false reports about pipe bombs and dangerous swatting pranks, where fake emergency calls send heavily armed police to unsuspecting victims’ homes.
One such swatting incident involving Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, ended tragically when a responding officer collided with another vehicle, resulting in a woman’s death.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat, faced a bomb threat at his home over Thanksgiving. His was one of several threats against East Coast Democrats during the holiday, all signed “MAGA.” However, Golden noted in an interview with The Washington Times that authorities couldn’t determine the sender, as the email could have originated from a foreign IP address.
Golden called for cooler heads on both sides of the aisle. He criticized inflammatory rhetoric like Democratic leaders suggesting Trump’s presidency could “lead to the end of democracy as we know it” and Republicans branding Democrats as “dangerous socialists.”
“For starters, both sides could stop,” Golden said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, united in condemning the threats. Jeffries emphasized the need for “maximum protection” for lawmakers.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger recently told a Senate panel that over 50 members of Congress have been swatted since the election. These threats have triggered 700 investigations, stretching the Capitol Police force thin due to limited manpower.
“Just in the last month, we’ve had over 50 members of Congress swatted,” Chief Manger said. “We’ve got to look at what we can do to enhance people’s security not only when they’re here on campus but when they’re off-campus and in their home districts.”
Capitol Police reported progress since 2021, including hiring hundreds of new officers and upgrading intelligence, operations, training, and equipment.
“Our teams are working around the clock to investigate threats and coordinate with law enforcement agencies to prevent potential attacks against lawmakers,” a spokesperson said.
Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican and chair of the House Administration Committee, said he is working to expand the Capitol Police’s threat assessment team but acknowledged more needs to be done. “There’s no place for political violence or political threats in our society, period full stop,” Steil said.
While threats against lawmakers are not new, the post-election surge is unusual.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican, recounted receiving death threats against his family, including his dog, when he was nominated as interior secretary during Trump’s first term.
“I received legitimate death threats for me, my family, my kids, my dog,” Zinke said. “At the end of the day, I couldn’t take my little dog for a walk.”
Zinke pointed to the deepening partisan anger as the root of the issue, urging both sides to embrace civility. “We can vehemently disagree, but let’s not be disagreeable where it spills out to assaults and violence and a rhetoric that promotes such actions,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Zinke remains optimistic. “There’s still time to find a balance,” he said, adding, “All it would take is for lawmakers across the political spectrum to realize … we can disagree.”
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