US authorities have reportedly intercepted explosive devices intended for former US president Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and several other senior political figures.
The devices, described by The Guardian as “pipe bombs”, were sent to the homes of Obama and Clinton, as well as the offices of Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters and New York governor Andrew Cuomo.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“All the apparent targets are regularly criticised by conservatives - especially by President Trump,” the BBC says.
Law enforcement officials have also told CNN that they are working to track down a package addressed to former US vice president Joe Biden.
Its whereabouts are unknown as the package had reportedly been wrongly addressed and “returned to sender”.
Trump has addressed the media, saying: “The full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation, and bring those responsible for these despicable acts to justice. We will spare no resources or expenses in this effort.”
Speaking at a rally in Wisconsin last night, Trump also called 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.”
In a joint statement, senior Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer said Trump’s latest words “ring hollow until he reverses his statements that condone acts of violence”.
“This clearly is an act of terror attempting to undermine our free press and leaders of this country through acts of violence,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told media.
-
Biggest political break-ups and make-ups of 2025The Explainer From Trump and Musk to the UK and the EU, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a round-up of the year’s relationship drama
-
Why 2025 was a pivotal year for AITalking Point The ‘hype’ and ‘hopes’ around artificial intelligence are ‘like nothing the world has seen before’
-
The best drama TV series of 2025the week recommends From the horrors of death to the hive-mind apocalypse, TV is far from out of great ideas
-
Hong Kong court convicts democracy advocate LaiSpeed Read Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted in a landmark national security trial
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Normalising relations with the Taliban in AfghanistanThe Explainer The regime is coming in from the diplomatic cold, as countries lose hope of armed opposition and seek cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and deportation of immigrants
-
Pakistan: Trump’s ‘favourite field marshal’ takes chargeIn the Spotlight Asim Munir’s control over all three branches of Pakistan’s military gives him ‘sweeping powers’ – and almost unlimited freedom to use them
-
Is Europe finally taking the war to Russia?Today's Big Question As Moscow’s drone buzzes and cyberattacks increase, European leaders are taking a more openly aggressive stance
-
Pushing for peace: is Trump appeasing Moscow?In Depth European leaders succeeded in bringing themselves in from the cold and softening Moscow’s terms, but Kyiv still faces an unenviable choice
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
