What is 'swatting'? The threat Trump's cabinet members received that can be deadly

Several Republicans who will be part of Donald Trump's cabinet beginning in January 2025 and their relatives received serious threats, including death threats, forcing authorities to activate security protocols. Some of those affected were Elise Stefanik, the next ambassador to the U.N.; Lee Zeldin, the next director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and Pete Hegseth, the next secretary of defense, among others.

Among those "violent and un-American" incidents, as defined by Trump-appointed White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, were bomb threats on victims' homes, attacks against properties of those affected... and what is known as "swatting."

What is 'swatting'?

As describes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an agency that reports to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), swatting consists of "criminal activity by an individual or group who knowingly provides false information to law enforcement suggesting that a serious threat exists at a particular location so that law enforcement responds with tactical units, or what’s commonly known as a SWAT (special weapons and tactics) team."

Most commonly, these false alarms warn of an active shooter, a bomb threat, a home invasion or a hostage situation. When tactical units are called in, the outcomes can be fatal, as they are authorized to open fire.

The usual victims of swatting tend to be "U.S. government officials, religious institutions, schools, journalists, corporate executives and celebrities." The tactic is employed to harass them.

In recent years, swatting has increased, with recorded incidences skyrocketing. For this reason, the FBI and other authorities launched a federal database in May 2023 to detect and track all cases that occur.