WASHINGTON – The White House became the latest target of a fake 911 call Monday morning when someone falsely claimed the historic building was on fire.
DC Fire and EMS spokesman Noah Gray told The Post the tip came in at 7:03 a.m
Crews rushed in a minute later “and with coordination with the Secret Service, it was determined there was no fire emergency.”
Firefighters “returned to service at 7:16 a.m.” Gray said, indicating the scare ended quickly.
President Biden was at Camp David in Maryland when the incident occurred.
The White House declined to comment and referred questions to the Secret Service, which did not immediately release a statement.
Politicians from both parties have been affected by so-called “swatting” incidents in recent weeks, where false calls are made to send in heavily armed response teams to intimidate targets.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag with the White House in the background during the “March on Washington for Gaza” on January 13. AFP via Getty Images
Republicans who have been hit include Rep. Georgia Majorie Taylor Greene, whose home was raided by authorities on Christmas Day following a suicide hotline tip, Rep. New York’s Brandon Williams and Florida’s Senator Rick Scott.
Prominent Democrats targeted include Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, left-wing billionaire George Soros and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who gained national attention by knocking former President Donald Trump off the state’s 2024 ballot last month.
Other high-profile critics of Biden and Trump have also been targeted.
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, who has often commented on corruption allegations against the Biden family, has reported a fake shooting at his home, and computer repairman John Paul Mac Issac said he was also targeted.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the civil fraud trial against Trump, called in a fake bomb threat to his address last week, while DC federal judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Trump’s criminal trial for trying to overturn his 2020 loss, had fake gunfire reported in his house.
Officials have not said who they suspect is behind the false report.
In 2016 and 2017, about 2,000 threatening calls including bomb threats were received by Jewish institutions including community centers, giving rise to the perception of antisemitism, which critics blame on Trump.
An Israeli-American teenager, who is also Jewish, was convicted in 2018 of making the call, saying, “I did it out of boredom. It’s like a game,” and claimed he earned $240,000 in Bitcoin in the process.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
