Trump says investigation underway to identify source of suspicious packages

President Donald Trump said a “major federal investigation” is underway to find who is responsible for bombs and other suspicious packages that were addressed to Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama and CNN.

During an event addressing the opioid crisis on Wednesday, Trump said federal officials will “spare no resources or expense” in this effort.

“The safety of the American people is my highest and absolute priority,” Trump said.

“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.”

The safety of the American People is my highest priority. I have just concluded a briefing with the FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Secret Service… pic.twitter.com/nEUBcq4NOh

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 24, 2018

Trump did not mention any of the recipients of the packages in his remarks.

The U.S. Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was addressed to Clinton at her Chappaqua, New York, home and a possible explosive that was sent to Obama in his home in Washington. The devices were discovered late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

BREAKING: Secret Service intercepts suspicious packages addressed to the residences of former President Obama and former First Lady Hillary Clinton. Working with our law enforcement partners on the investigation. Our Statement: https://t.co/lJdTn04KmI

— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) October 24, 2018

The agency said neither Clinton nor Obama received the packages, and neither was at risk of receiving them because of screening procedures.

A New York City bomb squad also removed a suspicious package from CNN’s New York headquarters, which was evacuated. The package sent to CNN was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan and contained a live explosive and envelope with white powder, New York City police said. The substance was being tested to see if it was dangerous.

Other Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, were sent suspicious packages on Wednesday.

The office of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California was evacuated after suspicious packages were found near the building, Lily Adams, Harris’ communications director, said.

Our office was evacuated today after suspicious packages were found near the building. The packages were not addressed to the Senator or our office. We are grateful to the San Diego Police Department for their work to swiftly investigate this issue.

— Lily Adams (@adamslily) October 24, 2018

There were early reports that a third device was sent to the White House, but the Secret Service later clarified that they were false.

CLARIFICATION: At this time the Secret Service has intercepted TWO suspicious packages – one in NY and one in D.C. Reports of a third intercepted package addressed to the WH are incorrect. We refer media to our statement: https://t.co/lJdTn04KmI

— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) October 24, 2018

NYPD’s chief of counterterrorism John Miller said the explosive device sent to CNN’s headquarters in New York appeared to be sent by the same person who mailed crude pipe bombs to Clinton and Obama. The New York device was black and had wires.

The White House condemned the attempted attacks on Obama and Clinton, saying, “These terrorizing acts are despicable.”

Clinton said Wednesday during a campaign event for Democratic congressional candidate Donna Shalala in Miami that her and her family were fine.

“We are fine, thanks to the men and women of the Secret Service who intercepted the package addressed to us long before it made its way to our home,” she said.

“Every day we are grateful for their service and commitment and obviously never more than today.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the package sent to the CNN office an “an effort to terrorize. This clearly was an act of terror.”

de Blasio said there were no other specific threats against other organizations in New York City, but that officials were continuing to investigate and would reinforce police presence at organizations in the area.

“We cannot let the acts of a few change who we are,” he added.

“We will not let terrorism win, not today, not ever,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

In an interview with CNN after the Time Warner Center in New York was evacuated, U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake said it is “horrible anytime anybody’s threatened like this. It’s not good.”

NEW: @JeffFlake among people outside evacuated Time Warner Center this morning. “It’s horrible, anytime anybody’s threatened like this, it’s not good,” Flake told @CNN. #abc15 pic.twitter.com/4IIKAtWzBH

— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) October 24, 2018

One of the packages, a U.S. official told the publication, had the return address of Wasserman Schultz, an ironic reference to the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

The official told the Associated Press investigators believed the explosives were linked to one found Monday at the compound of liberal billionaire George Soros.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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