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Oct. 24, 2018 / 6:44 PM GMT / Updated 7:51 PM GMT
By Lauren Egan
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday condemned the mailing of a series of explosive devices to current and former political leaders this week as “despicable,” saying at the White House that “acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America.”
“In these times we have to unify, we have to come together,” he said before a bill-signing event, calling the mailings “abhorrent to everything we hold dear and sacred as Americans.”
“We are extremely angry, upset, unhappy about [what happened] this morning, and we will get to the bottom of it,” he added.
First lady Melania Trump introduced the president at the event and stated “we cannot tolerate those cowardly attacks and I strongly condemn all who choose violence.”
The president, who was briefed earlier on the ongoing investigation along with top officials, said a full-scale federal investigation was underway following the sending of packages containing the explosive devices to a series of current and former officials.
“The full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation and bring those responsible for these despicable acts to justice. We will spare no resources or expense in this effort,” Trump said.
The mostly Democratic targets, whom the president and first lady did not name in their remarks, included former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and former CIA Director John Brennan, who was the intended recipient of a package sent to CNN’s New York City office.
On Monday a similar device was sent to the home of George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and top Democratic donor.
“This country has to come together. This division, this hatred, this ugliness has to end,” former Vice President Joe Biden tweeted shortly after the president’s remarks.
No one has been injured by the devices.