The Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. was evacuated last Wednesday while police investigated the delivery of two vials of blood that had been sent to the RNC in a package addressed to presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
According to the DC Metropolitan Police, Haz-Mat teams were called to the RNC headquarters on Wednesday, May 22, and the building was briefly evacuated. It was unclear if anyone in the building came into contact with the contents of the vials or if any message was included in the package.
Capitol Police also issued an advisory instructing people to avoid the 300 block of First Street SE where the RNC headquarters is located due to a “suspicious package.” The House Sergeant-at-Arms also sent out an advisory on traffic restrictions in the area.
RNC Chair Michael Whatley offered little detail about the incident, except to describe it as a “revolting attack.”
Whatley thanked law enforcement for their quick response and for ensuring the safety of those inside. He said in a statement that the police lifted the lockdown and allowed RNC staff to resume their duties.
Whatley added that the RNC would “remain unintimidated and undeterred” in its efforts to elect Trump in November.
When asked about the incident during last Wednesday’s White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House condemned “political violence, threats, or intimidation,” which she said had no place in “our political discourse.”
The US Secret Service confirmed that the “non-hazardous” package was “addressed to a Secret Service protectee” and that its Washington field office was investigating.
In a letter sent to the US Secret Service in April, RNC legal counsel Tod Steggerda asked that potential protesters at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Milwaukee be kept farther back from the convention site than originally planned, arguing that the original plan created “an elevated and untenable safety risk to the attending public.”
