Robert De Niro, Joe Biden targeted as wave of attempted US bombings continues
The package sent to Mr De Niro's building was one of 10 suspected bombs intercepted so far. Photo: Getty
A suspicious package was sent to Robert De Niro, and two suspected bombs have been intercepted en route to former vice president Joe Biden, as the wave of attempted US bombings continues.
A package similar to those containing pipe bombs sent to former president Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, along with other prominent Democrats, was intercepted at the Manhattan that houses the Oscar-winning actor’s restaurant and production offices overnight.
Mr De Niro has been a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, making headlines by yelling “F–k Trump” in June during the live Tony Awards telecast.
Security personnel at Mr De Niro’s Tribeca Productions summoned police about 5am Thursday local time and a bomb squad removed the package.
The package sent to Mr De Niro was safely removed. Photo: ABC
The company said in a statement Friday morning (AEST) that its Manhattan building was open and deemed safe.
Mr Obama’s former vice president, Mr Biden, was targeted by two packages, both intercepted at mail facilities in the state of Delaware.
Law enforcement officials said 10 packages intercepted so far were similar: manila envelopes with bubble-wrap interior bearing six stamps and the return address of Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The New York offices of broadcaster CNN were evacuated on Thursday after a suspected bomb was sent to former CIA head John Brennan.
The FBI said five of the packages were simlar in appearance. Photo: FBI
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the notion that Mr Trump is responsible for the packages sent to his opponents was “disgraceful”.
She told reporters on Friday morning that there’s a big difference between “comments made and actions taken”.
For his part, Mr Trump has blamed the media and “Fake News” for prompting the anger that led to the attempted bombings.
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. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2018
Mr Brennan, a frequent critic of the President, told Mr Trump to stop blaming others for inflaming divisions in the US.
“Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful. Clean up your act….try to act Presidential,” he tweeted in reply late on Thursday night.
Crude bombs have also been sent to Democratic Party donor George Soros, Democratic Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Maxine Waters and former Attorney General Eric Holder.
Stan Rosenfield, a spokesman for Mr De Niro, told CNN the attempted bombing was “extremely disturbing and frightening”.
“It seems that all the people that were targeted have one thing in common and that is their political beliefs. That is the only thing I can conclude at this point,” he said.
The investigation into the attempted bombings and the hunt for whoever is responsible, is being led by the FBI’s counterterrorism division.
The devices have been sent to an FBI lab in Virginia to be studied and the agency warned additional packages may have mailed to other locations.
“We will bring them to justice,” Mr Trump said of the attempted bomber, or bombers at a Wisconsin rally on Thursday.
However, Mr Trump’s relentless criticism of the news media was seen as a factor in turning CNN into a target.
CNN president Jeff Zucker earlier criticised the White House for a “total and complete lack of understanding” of the seriousness of its attacks on the media.
“The President, and especially the White House press secretary, should understand their words matter,” Mr Zucker said in a statement.
“Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that.”
-with agencies