Politics

Trump blames 'bomb stuff' for slowing GOP momentum in midterms

Key Points
  • President Trump tweets that "this 'Bomb' stuff' has greatly slowed the "momentum" of Republican candidates in early voting in the midterm elections.
  • The tweet comes amid a series of suspected mail bombing attempts on Democratic politicians and other critics of Trump.
President Donald Trump speaks at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC, on October 25, 2018. 
Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images

President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday that "this 'Bomb' stuff' has greatly slowed the "momentum" of Republican candidates in early voting in the November midterm elections.

The tweet came hours after the discovery of two more suspected mail bombs, bringing the number to 12 suspicious packages that have been sent to Trump critics including former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and former top intelligence officials.

Trump comments on the arrest of suspected mail bomber
VIDEO1:5501:55
Trump comments on the arrest of suspected mail bomber

"Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this "Bomb" stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows - news not talking politics," Trump said.

"Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!"

Tweet

Earlier Friday, at around 3:30 a.m., Trump had called out CNN in a tweet that claimed that news network has been "blaming me for the current spate of Bombs."

CNN's New York headquarters was evacuated Wednesday, along with the rest of the massive Time Warner Center complex in Manhattan, after a suspected pipe bomb addressed to former CIA chief John Brennan in care of CNN was found in the mailroom.

Tweet

The White House had no immediate comment on the president's new tweet about the bomb "stuff."

On Friday, authorities said that an 11th suspected mail bomb had been found addressed to Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, in South Florida, while a 12th suspicious package addressed to former national intelligence chief James Clapper had been found in a U.S. Postal Service facility on West 52nd Street in Manhattan.

The first package containing explosives, which was discovered Monday, was sent to the Westchester County, New York, home of billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who has long been a bogeyman for right-wing conspiracy theorists who accuse him of a range of nefarious activities.

Recapped: A week of mail bombs
VIDEO8:1208:12
Recapped: A week of mail bombs

On Tuesday, the Secret Service found a pipe bomb that had been sent in a package addressed to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Clinton, at her Westchester County home.

A suspected explosives device sent to Obama's house in Washington was found Wednesday.

Shortly after the Brennan-addressed device was discovered that day, a suspicious package addressed to Obama Attorney General Eric Holder was sent to the Florida office of Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose name was on the return address.

Also Wednesday, two suspicious packages, in Los Angeles and Washington, were intercepted by law enforcement officials after being sent to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

Another device was sent to actor Robert De Niro's New York restaurant. The actor has been a harsh critic of Trump.

WATCH: Authorities arrest Florida man for sending mail bombs

Authorities arrest Florida man for sending mail bombs to Dems, CNN, De Niro
VIDEO2:3402:34
Authorities arrest Florida man for sending mail bombs to Dems, CNN, De Niro