The headquarters of the Republican National Committee (RNC) in Washington D.C. was evacuated this week due to a potential security incident. An unknown person sent vials of blood addressed to former President Donald Trump, sparking the action.
The vials of liquid were discovered, which prompted officials to call law enforcement. This was followed by a Hazmat response and an investigation. The vials were sent to the former president but it is unclear whether or not there was an additional message attached.
The U.S. Capitol Police told people to avoid the street where the RNC is located while the House of Representatives sergeant at arms said that there would be traffic restrictions “due to law enforcement activity at the RNC.”
BREAKING.🚨
The RNC HQ is on lockdown and a HAZMAT team has been deployed to the scene.
Three sources tell NBC News that vials of blood were sent to RNC headquarters and they broke open pic.twitter.com/B1g60o8zlv
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) May 22, 2024
The package led to the headquarters being placed on lockdown and required a significant police response.
The closure occurred for several hours before the U.S. Capitol Police ended the lockdown, stating that the “suspicious package has been cleared.”
“The source of the package and its contents will be further investigated,” said a Capitol Police statement. The response included explosives removal experts and K-9 units.
The incident occurred after a series of changes at the RNC that placed figures close to Trump in leading positions.
This includes the new national RNC Chair Michael Whatley, the former North Carolina Republican Party chairman. In addition, the former president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump took the position as the RNC’s co-chair. The organization also welcomed former Trump adviser Chris LaCivita as its chief of staff.
The incident also occurred just months ahead of the Republican National Convention, which will nominate the former president for the third consecutive time.
The potential sender of the blood has not been identified. There is still an ongoing investigation regarding whether or not the blood was dangerous or whether it was sent with an additional message or item.
Despite the incident, leading Republicans made statements on social media condemning the sending of the blood to the RNC.
