Suspicious packages sent to Time Warner Center (CNN), Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama

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Suspected explosive devices were sent to former US President Barack Obama and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the US Secret Service has said.

It comes two days after a bomb was found at the home of liberal philanthropist and financier George Soros in the suburbs of New York City.

The devices were discovered by technicians who screen mail sent to the former US officials.

The Time Warner building in New York was also evacuated due to a package.

CNN, which is located in the Time Warner building, evacuated its newsroom over the incident, CNN president Jeff Zucker confirmed in a statement.

Mr Zucker said the suspicious package was discovered in the building's mailroom, and that all CNN offices around the world are now being searched "out of a complete abundance of caution".

The Time Warner building in New York City was evacuated on Wednesday morning
According to a statement from the US Secret Service, a package addressed to Mrs Clinton was recovered late on 23 October.

"Early this morning, October 24, 2018, a second package addressed to the residence of Former President Barack Obama was intercepted by Secret Service personnel in Washington, DC," the statement adds.

"Both packages were intercepted prior to being delivered to their intended location. The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them."

A US official told the Associated Press that a "functional explosive device" was found during a screening of mail sent to the home of Mr and Mrs Clinton in Chappaqua, New York.

The FBI in New York said they were aware of the suspected packages, and that their Joint Terrorism Task force is aiding in the investigation.

A spokeswoman for Mr Obama declined to comment on the incident, and referred reporters to the Secret Service statement.

The package sent to CNN appeared to have been addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, according to US media.

Mr Brennan, who is a frequent contributor to the network, has become a vocal critic of Mr Trump since leaving office.

The suspected explosive devices come two days after a confirmed pipe bomb was discovered in a mailbox at the home of Mr Soros.

Mr Soros has become a frequent target for criticism by right-wing groups due to his support for liberal causes.

Officials "proactively detonated" the device, and determined that it contained explosive powder and "had the components of a bomb".

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders condemned the "attempted violent attacks" against the public figures.

"These terrorising acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

"The United States Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies are investigating and will take all appropriate actions to protect anyone threatened by these cowards," she said.

Trump Jr letter: 'You get what you deserve'
Vice-President Mike Pence tweeted: "We condemn the attempted attacks against fmr Pres Obama, the Clintons, @CNN & others."

He added that "these cowardly actions are despicable & have no place in this Country", and that "those responsible will be brought to justice".

The US President's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, who received a suspicious package at his New York home earlier this year, tweeted: "As someone whose family has directly been the victim of these mail threats I condemn whoever did this regardless of party or ideology.

"This crap has to stop and I hope they end up in jail for a long time."

Chelsea Clinton, the only child of Bill and Hillary Clinton, tweeted: "Every day, I am grateful to the women and men of the United States Secret Service. Thank you."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45969100
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Time Warner Center – where CNN's New York offices are located – was just evacuated. The alarm went off as <a href="https://twitter.com/jimsciutto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jimsciutto</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/PoppyHarlowCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PoppyHarlowCNN</a> were on air reporting the packages sent to the Clintons and Obamas. <a href="https://twitter.com/ShimonPro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShimonPro</a> reporting it was over "a suspicious package." <a href="https://t.co/EYBsytil0o">pic.twitter.com/EYBsytil0o</a></p>— &#55357;&#56448;andrew&#55357;&#56443;kaczynski&#55356;&#57219; (@KFILE) <a href="https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1055102161661636608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I agree wholeheartedly! <a href="https://t.co/ndzu0A30vU">https://t.co/ndzu0A30vU</a></p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1055127893112696832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Suspected explosive devices were sent to former US President Barack Obama and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the US Secret Service has said.

It comes two days after a bomb was found at the home of liberal philanthropist and financier George Soros in the suburbs of New York City.

The devices were discovered by technicians who screen mail sent to the former US officials.

The Time Warner building in New York was also evacuated due to a package.

CNN, which is located in the Time Warner building, evacuated its newsroom over the incident, CNN president Jeff Zucker confirmed in a statement.

The suspicious package was discovered in the CNN's mailroom, Bryan Paarmann, the FBI special agent in charge said on Wednesday. Officials say the device appeared to be live.

At a news conference, police commissioner James O'Neill said law enforcement found an "envelope containing white powder" in the packaging of the device sent to CNN.

The powder is being investigated, but authorities found "no additional threats" after sweeping the area.

When asked about the pattern of these attempted attacks, Mr O'Neill said law enforcement is proactively contacting people to ensure other mail rooms "follow proper protocol".

"We're reaching out to the right people," he said without providing more information.

According to a statement from the US Secret Service, a package addressed to Mrs Clinton was recovered late on 23 October.

"Early this morning, October 24, 2018, a second package addressed to the residence of Former President Barack Obama was intercepted by Secret Service personnel in Washington, DC," the statement adds.

"Both packages were intercepted prior to being delivered to their intended location. The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them."

One of the packages sent today had listed Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz as the sender.

A US official told the Associated Press that a "functional explosive device" was found during a screening of mail sent to the home of Mr and Mrs Clinton in Chappaqua, New York.

Speaking at a campaign event in Florida, Mrs Clinton thanked the Secret Service and said she and her family "are fine".

"It is a troubling time," she said. "It is a time of deep divisions and we have to do everything we can to bring our country together. We also have to elect candidates who will try to do the same."

The FBI in New York said they were aware of the suspected packages, and that their Joint Terrorism Task force is aiding in the investigation.

A spokeswoman for Mr Obama declined to comment on the incident, and referred reporters to the Secret Service statement.

The package sent to CNN appeared to have been addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, according to US media.

Mr Brennan, who is a frequent contributor to the network, has become a vocal critic of Mr Trump since leaving office.

Trump ends ex-CIA head's security access
The suspected explosive devices come two days after a confirmed pipe bomb was discovered in a mailbox at the home of Mr Soros.

Mr Soros has become a frequent target for criticism by right-wing groups due to his support for liberal causes.

Officials "proactively detonated" the device, and determined that it contained explosive powder and "had the components of a bomb".

Law enforcement officials tell US media that the device discovered at CNN on Wednesday appears to be similar to the one found at Mr Soros' home on Monday.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders condemned the "attempted violent attacks" against the public figures.

In a follow-up tweet, she added that the White House condemnation "certainly includes threats made to CNN as well as current or former public servants".

Vice-President Mike Pence tweeted: "We condemn the attempted attacks against fmr Pres Obama, the Clintons, @CNN & others."

President Trump retweeted him, adding: "I agree wholeheartedly!"

The US President's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, who received a suspicious package at his New York home earlier this year, tweeted: "As someone whose family has directly been the victim of these mail threats I condemn whoever did this regardless of party or ideology.

"This crap has to stop and I hope they end up in jail for a long time."

His sister, Ivanka Trump, also condemned the "acts of violence" and expressed gratitude to law enforcement.

Chelsea Clinton, the only child of Bill and Hillary Clinton, tweeted: "Every day, I am grateful to the women and men of the United States Secret Service. Thank you."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45969100
 
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This is what happens when right wing figures continue to incite violence against your political opponents.

Trump bears a large responsibility for the coarsening of political discourse, and has egged on violence himself, so give me a break with your condemnations.
 
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President Donald Trump has called on the media "to stop the endless hostility", after suspected explosives were posted to high-profile US figures.

He was speaking after parcels were sent to CNN and top Democrats, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

None of the packages exploded. The FBI has launched a hunt for their sender.

The president's critics called his latest remarks hypocritical, as he often uses vicious language against his opponents and the press.

Speaking at a Wednesday night rally in Wisconsin, the president vowed to catch the perpetrator, while calling on the media to end "constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories".

Mr Trump also called for more civility in public life, saying: "Those engaged in political arena must stop treating political opponents as being morally defective.

"No one should carelessly compare political opponents to historic villains, which is done often."

However, the president made no specific reference to the intended recipients of the packages.

Earlier CNN worldwide president Jeff Zucker criticised President Trump and the White House press secretary for not understanding that "words matter".

"There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media," he said.

Who were the packages sent to?
Suspected bombs were sent to locations in New York, the Washington DC area and Florida, authorities said on Wednesday.

Explosive devices were sent to the following individuals, according to the latest FBI statement:

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Former President Barack Obama
Former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN
Former Attorney General Eric Holder
California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters
Liberal philanthropist and financier George Soros (on Monday)
CNN's New York office was evacuated on Wednesday morning after the package, addressed to Mr Brennan, was found in its mailroom.

Another package, believed to have been addressed to former Vice-President Joe Biden, is being sought by US federal investigators.

Why is this so political?
All the apparent targets are regularly criticised by conservatives - especially by President Trump.

Some Democrats have accused the president of inciting violence with his past rhetoric, while some of his supporters have said they believe the packages are part of a Democratic plot to win votes in the mid-term elections.

There is no evidence for this and the police have not released any information about any suspects.

The attempted attacks come just under two weeks before the mid-terms, with US politics highly polarised.

What has the reaction been?
Earlier, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called attempted attacks on CNN and top Democrats, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, "an act of terror".

Mr de Blasio told reporters it was an effort to terrorize and "to undermine our free press and leaders of this country through acts of violence".

On Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders condemned the "attempted violent attacks" against the public figures. She then specified in a follow-up tweet that the White House also condemned threats made to CNN.

The president has repeatedly called journalists, and CNN in particular, "fake news" and the "enemy of the people". Last week he praised a Republican congressman who had assaulted a reporter with a "body slam".


In a joint statement, top Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer also said the president's latest words "ring hollow until he reverses his statements that condone acts of violence".

New York Mayor Mr de Blasio added during a news conference: "To all public officials, to all partisan affiliations - don't encourage violence, don't encourage hatred, don't encourage attacks on media you can disagree but you have to show respect."

The FBI says its ongoing investigation is "of the highest priority".

What was in the packages?
The devices are suspected to be pipe bombs. None of them exploded.

The ones addressed to Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton were intercepted by security services before they were delivered.

They were all sent in manila envelopes with bubble wrap, addressed with computer-printed labels. Each listed Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as the sender, although her name was misspelt.

In a statement, the Florida congresswoman said she was "deeply disturbed" by the way her name was used.

The package addressed to Mr Brennan was sent to CNN as he was scheduled to appear on the network on Wednesday, US media report.

New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill also said law enforcement is analysing an "envelope containing white powder" that was found in the packaging of that device sent to CNN.

What have the apparent targets said?
Speaking at a campaign event in Florida, Mrs Clinton thanked the Secret Service and said she and her family "are fine".

"It is a troubling time," she said. "It is a time of deep divisions and we have to do everything we can to bring our country together. We also have to elect candidates who will try to do the same."

A spokeswoman for Mr Obama declined to comment on the incident, and referred reporters to the Secret Service statement.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45973436
 
This is what happens when right wing figures continue to incite violence against your political opponents.

Trump bears a large responsibility for the coarsening of political discourse, and has egged on violence himself, so give me a break with your condemnations.

Is Maxine Waters a right wing figure?.
 
Is Maxine Waters a right wing figure?.
Maxine Waters called for Trump officials to be protested in public places, not for violence to be committed against them. Those protesters are entitled to exercise their first amendment rights within reasonable limits.

What's she said that's remotely equivalent to the incendiary rhetoric Trump uses on a regular basis ? Has she offered to pay the legal bills of those who punch protesters at her rallies or for her opponents to be locked up ?

Has Maxine Waters described the media as the "enemy of the people" and applauded journalists being bodyslammed ?

It must be a happy coincidence the people Trump constantly demonises, propagates wild conspiracies against and calls for their arrest have now just received bombs through the mail !
 
A suspect package similar to those sent to senior public figures has been sent to a New York restaurant owned by the actor Robert De Niro, US media say.

The device arrived at the Tribeca Grill in Manhattan early on Thursday local time, US media said, citing police.

Former Vice-President Joe Biden has also reportedly received packages.

If linked to previous incidents, this would be the ninth perceived critic of President Donald Trump to receive a suspected explosive device this week.

De Niro - the star of films Raging Bull and Meet the Parents - is a vocal Trump opponent, and once called him "a national disaster".

When the Oscar-winner attacked him at the Tony Awards in June, the president responded by calling De Niro a "very low IQ individual".

The New York Police Department said the restaurant building - which also houses his production company TriBeCa Films - was empty at the time the suspicious device arrived, NBC reports.

Shortly after the news broke, President Trump appeared to pin the blame on the media, tweeting: "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."

He made no direct reference to the device found at the restaurant, or any of the earlier incidents.

The series of bomb alerts began on Monday, when explosive devices were sent to locations in New York, the Washington DC area and Florida, authorities said on Wednesday.

The first was found near the home of billionaire businessman George Soros, a major Democratic Party donor.

Other devices were sent to the following individuals, according to the FBI:

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Former President Barack Obama
Former Vice-President Joe Biden
Former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN
Former Attorney General Eric Holder
California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters
Liberal philanthropist and financier George Soros (on Monday)

Two devices were sent to separate offices for Congresswoman Waters.

None of the devices went off. The FBI has launched a manhunt for whoever is behind the packages.

CNN's New York office was evacuated on Wednesday morning, after the package addressed to Mr Brennan was found in its mailroom.

The attempted bombings come just under two weeks before the mid-term elections, with US politics highly polarised.

President Trump first responded on Wednesday by calling for more civility in public life, saying: "Those engaged in the political arena must stop treating political opponents as being morally defective.

"No-one should carelessly compare political opponents to historic villains, which is done often."
Media captionDonald Trump: "Stop endless hostility"

The president made no specific reference to the intended recipients of the packages.

He later told the media to end the "constant negative and oftentimes false attacks".

Former CIA Director John Brennan, who was targeted at the CNN office on Wednesday, tweeted to Mr Trump on Thursday: "Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful."

Why is this so political?

Conservatives claim Democrats, including those who were targeted in the bomb scare, have encouraged "angry mob" behaviour,

The president's critics have called his remarks hypocritical, as he often uses vicious language against his opponents and the press.

He has said Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Hillary Clinton and former Attorney General Eric Holder "are losing it", and that "they've gone so far left that they can't even believe that they're over there".

Republican Congressman Steve Scalise, who nearly died after he was shot in 2017 by a deranged supporter of progressive Senator Bernie Sanders during a morning softball practice, wrote in Fox News on Thursday of the "growing list of violent or threatening actions taken against conservatives by Democrats".

"The threats and the violence have not let up and instead of seeing my Democrat colleagues calling for an end, there have been calls for their supporters to keep going, to do even more to threaten Republicans," he wrote.

He cited multiple examples of Republicans being "chased out of restaurants" and of Republican lawmakers who have received death threats against themselves and their families.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders praised Mr Trump's reaction to the bomb scares on Fox News, saying: "The President, I think could not have been more presidential."

She added that "certainly the media has a role to play in this process" adding that "90% of the coverage of this president is negative despite the historic successes".

"That is not helpful to the American discourse," she added.

Some of Mr Trump's supporters have said they believe the packages are part of a Democratic plot to win votes in the mid-terms, but there is no evidence for this.

An FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force "will continue to work to identify and arrest whosoever is responsible for sending these packages," the agency's director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45975447
 
This is seriously concerning news and totally bizarre.

It would not surprise me to discover that the domestic intelligence services are, by now, so sick of Trump’s unpredictable antics that this is their latest and by far their highest-risk strategy to try and hijack his premiership. (The fabricated Russian Collusion probe hasn’t worked.)
 
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This is seriously concerning news and totally bizarre.

It would not surprise me to discover that the domestic intelligence services are, by now, so sick of Trump’s unpredictable antics that this is their latest and by far their highest-risk strategy to try and hijack his premiership. (The fabricated Russian Collusion probe hasn’t worked.)

Interesting but imo it's another far right nutter who worships Trump.
 
Interesting but imo it's another far right nutter who worships Trump.

Possibly, but I don’t know how his idiot supporters would be able to pull this off on a wider scale, with such tight timings, and (mundanely speaking) where they would have got all of those addresses from.
 
Possibly, but I don’t know how his idiot supporters would be able to pull this off on a wider scale, with such tight timings, and (mundanely speaking) where they would have got all of those addresses from.

James like you I watch whats happening in America from a distance, I have no skin in the game and can look at both sides with a much broader view.

How has the media coverage appeared to you, everything that happens in the world always cycles around to bringing Trump into it and then blaming him outright. He was mocked for meeting Kim, they mocked him for meeting Putin, he was mocked for his stance against NATO, any and everything he has done has been mocked, his family are mocked and ridiculed on a daily basis, chat shows and comedy shows every single night mock him and his family, he is being attacked for the Khashoggi murder, the caravan, anything and everything.

Every single word that Trump speaks is analysed, broken down and reprogrammed into the most negative narrative imaginable. His supporters are harassed, ridiculed and mocked and if you dont share extreme left views then you are the problem and people will get in your face and let you know that they have the freedom to ram their views down your throat and harass you.

If you watched much of the Kavanaugh hearings from a neutral position the lengths that were stretched to involve Trump and the most bizarre attack on Kavanaugh from the left was breathtaking. They made it clear before Trump nominated Kavanaugh that whoever he nominated they were going to oppose him with everything they have.

Only recently he said he was a nationalist (nationalism. noun. Devotion, especially excessive or undiscriminating devotion, to the interests or culture of a particular nation-state. The belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively, emphasizing national rather than international goals.) he also explained what he meant by the word with his desire to improve the lives of Americans and to have less involvement in globalism. This is something posters here would see as a good thing if America was to move away from global politics but the media has ignored his sentence and concentrated on the single word Nationalist.
They have taken nationalist and added white in front of it, some reporters just changed it from Nationalist
 
to white supremacist.

I dont need to hear post about how bad Trump is, I can switch on CNN and get a detailed account of everything bad about Trump in minute detail 24hrs a day, I know the drill, he is racist, hates women, lies, sexual predator, white supremacist, criminal, insane, unfit to hold office, abusive, cruel, dictator, homophobic, xenophobic, evil and any other thing in the dictionary that is bad.

Can you really say that the media is reporting the news.
 
Possibly, but I don’t know how his idiot supporters would be able to pull this off on a wider scale, with such tight timings, and (mundanely speaking) where they would have got all of those addresses from.

I always used to wonder the same thing about Islamic terrorists, like why would they bomb Pakistani army barracks when supposedly the Pakistani army is on their side (according to world media).?

Sometimes the terrorists seem to be serving their enemies purpose better than the people they claim to represent...but then we are heading into conspiracy theories and we don't want to be doing that.
 
US mail bombs: Man held after campaign against Trump critics

A 56-year-old man has been arrested in Florida in connection with a mail-bombing campaign aimed at critics of President Donald Trump.

US officials named the man as Cesar Sayoc, saying that more arrests could follow.

Mr Trump said the acts were "despicable and have no place in our country", and promised "swift and certain justice".

Twelve items have been sent in recent days to figures including ex-president Barack Obama and actor Robert de Niro.

The latest two were found in Florida and New York City on Friday.

The incidents come less than two weeks before the US mid-term elections, with politics highly polarised.


Media reports say Mr Sayoc, 56, was arrested at an auto parts shop in the city of Plantation, Florida.

Image copyrightBROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Image caption
Cesar Sayoc was reportedly arrested at a shop in Plantation, Florida
US officials say he is the principal suspect, and that DNA evidence was used to track him down.

He reportedly has ties to New York and a criminal history. Court records show he filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

What did Mr Trump say about the bombs?
Speaking at an event at the White House, Mr Trump praised law enforcement for the quick apprehension of the subject, describing the search as looking for a "needle in a haystack".

"These terrorising acts are despicable and have no place in our country," he said.


Media captionTrump: 'We can never allow political violence'
"We will prosecute... them to the fullest extent of the law. We will never allow political violence to take root in our country."

The comments were in stark contrast to Mr Trump's tweet earlier in the day, when he suggested the incidents, which he described as "'Bomb' stuff", were slowing Republican "momentum" in early voting.



Nick Bryant
"Bomb stuff"? The President of the United States appears here to be fuelling the conspiracy theories that this is a liberal hoax....

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump
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. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!

Former intelligence chief James Clapper, one of the recipients of Friday's packages, told CNN: "This is definitely domestic terrorism, no question in my mind."

He said that anyone who had been a critic of President Trump needed to be on the alert and take extra precautions.

How did the bomb threat unfold?
The series of bomb alerts began on Monday, when a suspected device was found in the post box of billionaire businessman George Soros, a major Democratic Party donor.


Media captionPolice in New York City find another suspicious package addressed to a Trump critic
The latest came on Friday, when a package addressed to top Democratic Senator Cory Booker was found in Florida and a second to former intelligence chief James Clapper was discovered in New York City.

Before that, a total of 10 devices were sent to the following eight individuals, according to the FBI.

Mr Soros
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Former President Barack Obama
Former Vice-President Joe Biden (two devices)
Former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN
Former Attorney General Eric Holder
California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
Mr De Niro
None of the devices went off.

What was inside the packages?
FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney said thorough examinations of all the packages were under way at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, near Washington DC.



The package addressed to Mr Clapper was found in New York
Several of the packages appear to have contained pipe bombs, according to the FBI.

CNN quotes investigators as saying they were functional but unstable, meaning they could be set off merely by handling. They have timers easily bought at retail outlets.

But experts speaking to several US media outlets have cast doubt on their effectiveness after seeing X-ray images.

New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill could not confirm whether all the devices were intended to explode, but he said officials "are treating them as suspected explosive devices".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45996655
 
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President Donald Trump on Friday said he does not plan to call former the two former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, who were targeted with pipe bombs this week.

Speaking on the South Lawn as he prepared to depart for a campaign rally, Trump was asked if he planned to reach out to the two former presidents.

"If they wanted me to, but I think we'll probably pass," Trump said.

The comment came after authorities arrested Florida resident Cesar Sayoc on Friday and charged him with crimes related to 13 pipe bombs that were mailed to prominent Democrats and public figures who have been critical of Trump.

To be sure, Trump is not required to call the two former presidents. But there is a long tradition of civility and communication among U.S. presidents and former presidents. Trump has largely eschewed this tradition, however.

Trump also told the press that he was in no way to blame for Sayoc's actions, and he did not think there was anything he should do differently in his campaign rhetoric. The president has frequently come under fire for his searingly divisive tone on the campaign trail, as well as his willingness to employ fear-mongering and falsehoods to rally his conservative base.

Asked whether he might be able to tone down his rhetoric in light of the mail bombs, Trump said no. "Tone down, no. Could tone up. I think I've been toned down, if you want to know the truth."

He then went on to complain about the news media's coverage of Republicans, calling it "very unfair."

Trump was scheduled to hold a campaign rally Friday night in North Carolina, where several incumbent Republicans are locked in tough reelection fights.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/26/tru...calling-clinton-obama-after-sayoc-arrest.html
 
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