Current:Home > NewsRepublican National Committee’s headquarters evacuated after vials of blood are addressed to Trump-InfoLens
Republican National Committee’s headquarters evacuated after vials of blood are addressed to Trump
View Date:2024-12-23 14:15:32
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican National Committee’s Washington headquarters was briefly evacuated on Wednesday as police investigated two vials of blood that had been addressed to former President Donald Trump following the presumptive presidential nominee’s takeover of the national party apparatus.
Hazardous-materials teams were called in after the vials were discovered, according to the U.S. Capitol Police, who said they would continue to investigate. It was unclear if anyone came into contact with the blood and to whom it belonged.
The vials were addressed to Trump, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak about it publicly. It was unclear if any message accompanied the vials explaining why they were sent.
Spokespeople for the RNC and the U.S. Secret Service did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The Metropolitan Police Department and the local fire department referred comment to the Capitol Police.
Earlier Wednesday, the Capitol Police issued a statement advising people to avoid the block where the RNC is located, a short walk southeast of the Capitol. The House sergeant at arms, the U.S. House of Representatives’ chief law enforcement and protocol officer, sent out information advising traffic restrictions in the area “due to law enforcement activity at the RNC.”
Trump’s handpicked leadership — including his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as the party’s national vice chair and former North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley as RNC chairman — recently took over the RNC, completing his takeover of the national party as he closes in on a third straight GOP presidential nomination. A Trump campaign senior adviser, Chris LaCivita, has taken over as the RNC chief of staff.
Wednesday’s situation comes less than two months from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump is slated to become the party’s official 2024 nominee and significant protests are expected. According to a letter sent last month to the Secret Service, RNC counsel Todd Steggerda asked officials to keep protesters back farther from the site than had been originally planned, arguing that an existing plan “creates an elevated and untenable safety risk to the attending public.”
___
Kinnard reported from Columbia, S.C., and Price reported from New York. AP writers Ashraf Khalil and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed reporting.
veryGood! (47533)
Related
- New wildfires burn in US Northeast while bigger blazes rage out West
- Looking for a deal? Aldi to add 800 more stores in US by 2028
- Crew of the giant Icon of the Seas cruise ship rescues 14 people adrift in the sea
- Justin Timberlake announces free, one night concert in Los Angeles: How to get tickets
- Cavaliers' Darius Garland rediscovers joy for basketball under new coach
- U.S. charges Chinese national with stealing AI trade secrets from Google
- Amy Robach Shares She's Delayed Blood Work in Fear of a Breast Cancer Recurrence
- Xcel Energy says its facilities appeared to have role in igniting largest wildfire in Texas history
- 'I know how to do math': New Red Lobster CEO says endless shrimp deal is not coming back
- Paul Simon to receive PEN America’s Literary Service Award
Ranking
- The Office's Kate Flannery Defends John Krasinski's Sexiest Man Alive Win
- Lone orca kills great white shark in never-before-seen incident, scientists say
- Fact Focus: Claims Biden administration is secretly flying migrants into the country are unfounded
- Xcel Energy says its facilities appeared to have role in igniting largest wildfire in Texas history
- To Protect the Ozone Layer and Slow Global Warming, Fertilizers Must Be Deployed More Efficiently, UN Says
- Revolve’s 1 Day Sale Has Rare Deals on Top Brands- Free People, For Love & Lemons, Superdown & More
- A small earthquake and ‘Moodus Noises’ are nothing new for one Connecticut town
- Texas' largest-ever wildfire that killed at least 2 apparently ignited by power company facilities, company says
Recommendation
-
'SNL' stars jokingly declare support for Trump, Dana Carvey plays Elon Musk
-
Rust weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed convicted of involuntary manslaughter in accidental shooting
-
5 Most Searched Retinol Questions Answered by a Dermatologist
-
Avoid seaweed blobs, red tides on Florida beaches this spring with our water quality maps
-
Hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field can be fixed for about $55M in time for 2026 season, per report
-
Lace Up, These Hoka Sneaker Deals Won’t Last Long & You Can Save Up to 51%
-
Fact Focus: Claims Biden administration is secretly flying migrants into the country are unfounded
-
Bill that could make TikTok unavailable in the US advances quickly in the House