Joe Biden and Robert De Niro Are Latest Democrats Targeted by Suspected Pipe Bombs

Former Vice President Joe Biden and actor Robert De Niro are the latest critics of President Donald Trump to be targeted by suspected pipe bombs following a wave of similar devices sent to top Democrats this week.

Suspicious packages addressed to Biden that appeared similar to other packages containing bombs were intercepted at mail facilities in Delaware, the Associated Press reports. One package was found at a postal center in New Castle, while the other was found at a facility in Wilmington.

The FBI confirmed Thursday morning that two packages were addressed to Biden and one was addressed to De Niro, and that they were similar in appearance to others. New York police are investigating a suspicious package addressed to the actor De Niro and sent to his Tribeca property Thursday morning.

Security personnel reached out to police around 5 a.m. Thursday after intercepting the package, an NYPD spokesperson says. The package appeared similar and shared characteristics to packages addressed to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Democratic donor George Soros, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN and others.

A bomb squad examined the package addressed to De Niro and determined it contained a device similar to the ones found in packages on Tuesday, the NYPD says. The bomb squad removed the package at 6:30 a.m. and transported it to the NYPD’s bomb disposal facility in the Bronx, New York.

Law enforcement is also investigating another suspicious package at a post office in Delaware, the FBI said Thursday.

Thus far, the packages have been sent to people who have spoken out against Trump. De Niro, a vocal Trump critic, received a standing ovation at the 2018 Tony Awards for saying, “f–k Trump.”

After initially calling for unity, Trump went on to blame the media for the surge of pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats. The President on Wednesday told supporters that the media is at fault for current divisions in American society that lead to events like attempted bombings. Trump doubled down on the comments in a tweet Thursday morning disparaging the press.

“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 said. “It has gotten so bad and hateful that is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act. FAST!”

Brennan, one of the targets of the suspected pipe bombs, said Trump’s critics “will not be intimidated into silence,” in response to the president’s tweet.

Police said Wednesday that the explosive devices sent in the packages were pipe bombs packed with shards of glass, the Associated Press reports. All seven of the bombs sent were disabled by police and no injuries were reported.