Pipe bombs were sent to Barack Obama, other top Democrats and CNN - all hate figures for backers of President Donald Trump - in a coordinated "effort to terrorize" days before polarizing US elections, officials said Wednesday. Hillary Clinton was among some of America's most high-profile Democrats targeted with the country bitterly divided ahead of November 6 elections seen as a referendum on the Republican Trump.
CNN is well known for its robust coverage of the Trump administration and is routinely condemned by the president, who succeeded Obama and defeated Clinton in 2016. Signs at his rallies condemn the network.
The spree of bomb alerts was kicked off Monday with a device found at the New York home of billionaire liberal donor George Soros. "So far the devices have been what appear to be pipe bombs," said FBI agent Bryan Paarmann.
"It appears that an individual or individuals sent out multiple similar packages," he added, in what appeared to be a coordinated effort.
Another suspicious device was sent to the Manhattan office of New York's Democratic state Governor Andrew Cuomo. In Florida, police also investigated a suspicious package near the office of a Democrat lawmaker, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. In California, suspicious packages provoked a false alarm at the offices of rising Democratic star, US Senator Kamala Harris.
The White House swiftly condemned the attempted attacks.
"These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," said Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, adding that Trump and his administration were "monitoring closely."
Trump himself confined his remarks to retweeting a condemnation from Vice President Mike Pence against the "cowardly" acts, adding: "I agree wholeheartedly!"
CNN evacuated its New York bureau Wednesday after the pipe bomb together with an envelope containing white powder was found in the mailroom. A bomb squad secured the device and removed it for investigation, police said.
The packaging was addressed care of CNN to former CIA director John Brennan, who has worked as a television analyst but not for the channel.
The Secret Service recovered the package addressed to Clinton at the home she shares with her husband, former president Bill Clinton, in Chappaqua, north of Manhattan on Tuesday, as well as a second package addressed to the Obama residence in Washington on Wednesday.
Clinton, speaking in Miami, thanked the Secret Service for intercepting the package and raised concerns about what she called a "troubling time" in America.
"It's a time of deep divisions, and we have to do everything we can to bring our country together," she said.
In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned "an effort to terrorize" as he and fellow Democrat Cuomo appealed to all elected officials, including a veiled reference to the US president, to tone down rhetoric.
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